The Blitz Or World War Two, Memories of the times Options

[wee mags]

I was mentioning some things about the war, and remembered we had a post on the old board, so anyone with memories please post them,its nice to see what others remember of that time,

[jimmyd]

Mags I have lots of memories,but the one that comes back to me often these days,is that there was an awful lot of sadness.I was too young then to really appreciate ,what was going on.I found on another site ,a pic of the street I was born in.Looking at the buldings ,and the different closes,remembering who lived where.It was amazing how many times, I could ,recall a family by the, member they had lost in the war.What a waste of young lives .!!!

[nks1955]

I must have been three or four years old when the Germans bombed along the river Kelvin, but I remember standing on one wheel spar of my mother's big old fashioned pram, my sister on the other side, and two babies in carriage and all the women going down to the Kelvin to see the destruction. They used to have prisoners in the Maryhill Barracks, the prison was right next to the front gate guardhouse, and we used to stand in front of the wee Saint Mary's Annex school, and call taunts to them. We'd sing silly wee songs about Churchill and Hitler. We had a german girl in our class at school (Gairbraid) her father was a defector or something but she was allowed to go to school. I call that real civilized. Wha's like us?

[jock]

The bridge over the river kelvin which led to the art gallery was hit by a bomb. But the bridge was scottish-built and the bomb left a crater which only had to be filled in.

[wee mags]

I remember the prisoners of war only they were down Kelvindale rd across from the railroad also across from Gairbraid place where the buses used to stop over,my mammy said not to say bad things to the prisoners as they were some ones father,brother,son,or husband and we had a brother and would we like if he was taunted? one used to call me liepshien I dont know how to spell it,

[K32a1r1m]

I am too young to remember any of WW2, just remember the stories my Mother used to tell. She lived down past the barracks when the land mine fell on Kilmun Street. When she was told what happened and she rushed up to see about her family,(they were killed) she said the closer she got, the amount of debris and broken glass on Maryhill Rd, just got heavier and heavier. She said they had to pick their way over the top of it when they reached Kilmun Street. They took all the bodies of those killed to the Ice Rink at Shawlands, and that is where everyone had to go to identify the bodies. I have the newspaper with all of the obituaries in it from that time. It is very sad. You read about whole families being wiped out.

[Rab-oldname]

My Mammy lived in a flat overlooking the Kelvin Bridge during the blitz. When the sirens sounded, instead of making for the shelter she decided to stay in her flat and watch the searchlights picking out the bombers. She recollects seeing a parachute swinging down towards the Kelvin Bridge and thought that it was a German who had bailed out. Unfortunately for her it was a parachute mine which hit the bridge and exploded. Next thing Mammy knew, she was in hospital having chunks of glass removed from her face and eyes. She carried those scars till she died 4 years ago.

[Fearn]

I remember my 'job' when the siren went - get dressed and take the dogs (we had Scotties) to the shelter at the bottom of the garden - no questions asked! Warm clothing was laid out each night and I think there were thermos bottles and food left handy on the kitchen table. I did my thing and, in a top bunk, with the dogs, snuggled down. A good sleeper, I guess I slept through most of the raids and then went safely back to bed. Far enough East of Clydebank we were lucky although there were several big hunks of shrapnel found in ours and other gardens.

Years later I met a gal who had difficulty walking, as a tiny babe she had lost 4 toes from one foot as her mother dangled her on her lap during a Clydebank raid.

For sure makes you realize just how lucky so many of us were!

[hubert]

I was born in 38 and come from Clydebank, I remember only once being in a shelter sitting on my aunts knee, and i still remember the bombs whistling down, and i think that was the only time i remember.
Yes a direct hit somewhere in Clydebank on a shelter, all were killed and below a pub around the holy city it was flattened I believe everybody was burried down there.
Fearn about the shrapnell, my parents had a nice mahogany wardrobe well there were a couple of holes my dad patched on the front door, i remember when i was a wee bit older being told the shrapnell went through my mothers fur coat, and my dads only suit, he my dad was a joiner and made a great job of matching the configuration of those holes and the contour but i dont think he ever did get the the French finish done on that wardrobe.
Whats that called again French something, its a finish on furniture.
French pollish is that it.
LoL I am having a middle age moment! LMAO
Nae smart comments please? HaHa

[Mary48]

It's amazing the difference 10 years and a few miles can make to the memories we have.

Keep those Blitz stories coming, I love hearing them:)

[Fearn]

hubert - I think many people think of shrapnel as always being in huge chunks - not so - thinking of 4 baby toes 'neatly' removed and holes in a fur coat and a suit make you realize how small shrapnel can be - but no less deadly depending on where it hits.

Does anyone remember the size-dipped curtains stuck to all the windows - to prevent slivers of shattered glass flying all over the place?

Please God, such days do not happen ever again.

[Mary48]

they are happening, Fearn, maybe not for us but people are suffering the nightmare of war.

[scottish lass]

Hi all, as I was born in 1941 not a lot do i remember of that time, we did not live in Glasgow, but out in the country Stonehouse was the village, and I do remember having evacuees from Clydebank, we had 3 daughters, of a family called Kerr, the parents stayed with house if I remember right, they were May, Helen, and I don't remember the other one,and I remember my parents tell us about the planes that flew over.
they followed the river Clyde, and the one that flew the plane to scotland ,landed not far from where we lived, and they talk about the Good old times, not for some............Mamie in Sydney

[Fearn]

Very true Mary, but what can WE do about it?

[Mary48]

Dunno, Fearn, I suppose it's all in one's belief system...for myself I meditate and send out healing .