´óÏó´«Ã½

28 June 2004

Wartime memories as told to David G. Orr.

Bob still has ration books, newspaper cuttings etc.
Bob stayed in 3 Ogilvie’s Close - his father gave up his haulage business in 1939. His father (who died in 1946) was a member of Angus County Council and was a Senior Baillie on Kirriemuir Town Council.
William Inglis, Dairyman had a business in Ogilvie’s Close since the 1920’s.

Bob was 5 years old when war broke out and remembers everyone getting gas masks. They lived in Dundee at that time and had to go the foot of Castle Street in Dundee to get his changed for a smaller size. They then returned to open up their Kirriemuir house in Ogilvie’s Close and remembers they first had 4 evacuees from Dundee (1 called Rusk) then another 4 evacuees from Dundee for a short period, replaced later by another boy and his mother.
He still has a couple of the blankets they were given for the evacuees, - some of them slept on camp beds. His father kept a loaded 303 rifle next to his bed.
Bob got pneumonia and remembers getting ‘M & B’ tablets but his father also managed to get some black market orange juice fro T. O. Mills of Ascreavie House.
Bob remembers his schooldays were held in the schoolhouse of Webster’s in the morning and then classes were held in the vestry of the Parish Church for the girls from 2pm to 3pm and then the boys from 3pm to 4pm. The boys played ‘commandos’ when the girls were in the vestry.
Then in 1945 he attended classes in St Andrew’s Church Hall (which was divided in two) and the pupils took turns at getting a heat in the winter from the fire.
The Assistant Headmaster (Mr Steadman) took the qualifying class when he came home from the Army.
Bob remembers when they were in St Andrew’s Church Hall Jim Simpson was slipping along the seats and got a skelf (a splinter) in his bum.
Bob remembers they could get a cake for tuppence from Bolland the Baker in the Southmuir.

Bob remembers eggs being delivered by Mrs Smith (1 dozen per week for the whole household). When eggs were plentiful in the summer months they were stored by his mother in ‘water glass’ in earthenware jars. ‘Water glass’ was a powder purchased by his mother from the chemist and added to water and 30+ eggs were put in the jar and would keep until the winter months when eggs were scarce.
Bob remembers food parcels arriving at school from the Americans and the names were put into a hat for distribution.

Bob remembers they got I month off school to go to the tattie gathering and he and his pals Lindsay Innes and Tam (Gusty) Donaldson (the Police Sergeant’s son) went to Ladywell Farm (Charles Cook) for 2 weeks and then to Kilnbank Farm (Ewart) for 2 weeks
Bob remembers at Ladywell they always got tattie soup for dinner and tea with milk so they did not need to take ‘pieces’ but it was better at Kilnbank, where they got soup and pudding as they had an apple orchard and they got apple and rice puddings.
Bob remembers the slit trenches at the Kinnordy crossroads ( 2 at each corner for use by the Home Guard) and also at the Glebe (for practice) He remembers playing in them as they were not very deep.
He also remembers an Army demonstration at Herdhill (in the former quarry) for the local folk, which consisted of a ‘tank’, made from timber and jute

Bob remembers Dunc. McMartin who had the Taxi business in the Glengate fighting with the Newfoundlanders who were across to cut timber.
Bob remembers Harry Klein’s shop Now the hairdresser’s) next door to the Taxi business, was used as a NAAFI Shop by the WVS
He also remembers the Army had commandeered the Lyell Memorial baths.
The Boy Scouts used the studio on Elm Street during the war.

Cortachy Castle was used for the wounded troops who were sent there to rest and recover. They all wore blue uniforms.

Kinclune House was used for Evacuees

Bob remembers VE Day in the Square in Kirrie when the Air Raid shelter was used as a rostrum.
He also remembers seeing the Poles unveiling the plaque on the Town Hall from an upper window of a house in Manse Close.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.