by Lachlan » Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:03 am
Hi there
My Dad (who died this year) had memories of the Clydeside Blitz which he told me about. In 1938, while at Rhunahaorine School, Tayinloan, he won a bursary to Keil School, Helenslea, Dumbarton.
In 1941, he and his schoolmates saw the Clydeside Blitz first-hand from the school playing fields, where the bomb-shelters were. He remembered the destruction, the terrible fires, explosions and sounds. He often heard the pitter-patter of shards of exploded anti-aircraft shells landing in the school grounds and on roofs. Gathering bits of shell casings became a popular hobby and was also necessary to clear the rugby field of any nasty bits of jagged metal which could injure players. As a result of the raids, the school evacuated to Balnakill House, near Clachan.
The other story my Dad told me about was his father, a gamekeeper at South Ronachan Estate. He was on the hill one day, when he heard a low pulsating roar in the distance. The sound got louder and when he turned round, a large plane was heading in his direction, flying along the spine of Kintyre. It was a German bomber, flying low to deceive radar. Now Granddad, an ex-51st Highland Division man from WW1 and a Kintyre Home Guard in WW2, reacted as the plane flew over him. He aimed his gun and let fly at the bomber ! Totally ineffective but highly dangerous, he realized right away his action could result in the plane’s gunner machine-gunning him where he stood on the hill ! As it was, the gunner resisted the temptation and the plane flew on until it disappeared out of sight.
I can’t be sure in my own memory but I think my Dad told me that it must have been that plane which flew on to Campbeltown and fired on the town, killing the Procurator Fiscal among others. As I was told it, he died shielding a wee girl from the attack.