A STONEHOUSE D-Day veteran is set to return to his former post in Burma 60 years after he witnessed its liberation from the Japanese - and met its future dictator.

Kenneth Bartlett, 86, took part in the final British landing in Rangoon and later returned to the country to help its transition to independence in 1948.

Now, with the help of the Heroes Return scheme, he is set to return to the east Asian country to see what changes have taken place in 60 years. "I must admit I am looking forward to it," he said. "I will be interested to see what is still there."

But there is one old comrade he will be fortunate not to meet - U Ne Win, who was an army commander when Mr Bartlett was in post-war Burma between 1947 and 1948.

Ne Win went on to preside over one of the 20th Century most brutal regimes, transforming the former British colony into a savage police state. He died in 2002.

"He was a bit of a bad egg," said Mr Bartlett. "I didn't know him all too well. The Burmese Army was quite separate to the British and Indian Army, so we only met a few times. "But I didn't think much of him."

Mr Bartlett first came to Burma in summer 1945 as an RAF Corporal on the HQ ship HMS Largs, which he had been on during its leading role in the D-Day landings.

But after the Japanese surrendered he took up his pre-war commission and rejoined the Army as an Lieutenant. Arriving in Singapore in 1947, he quickly discovered how quickly promotion moved in the post-war Army.

"I arrived in Singapore on a Sunday, reported to my brigadier on Monday and became a captain," he said.

"Three weeks later I was promoted to major and posted to Burma." Despite the ravages the Japanese had wrought on Rangoon, Mr Bartlett saw found himself quite enamoured to the people and architecture of the country.

"I did like Burma," he said. "The people were so pleasant and the buildings were so beautiful. The great Shwe Dagon pagoda in Rangoon was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen."

Mr Bartlett is set to leave for Burma next month with his 44-year-old son Jeffrey.