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This story was told to East Ayrshire Library Staff by Jeanette McGinty (now Diamond) during a People’s War Workshop at the Crosshouse Library on 4th May 2005.
Jeanette remembers VE Day very well — she was 6 years old and remembers all the flags hanging from windows in the village of Crosshouse, Ayrshire. She remembers going over to the public park where there was a huge bonfire with everyone dancing round about it. She also remembers her dad and uncles being there — home from the war. She remembers a big party in her house after coming home from the park — with all the neighbours singing and dancing. Almost like a street party. A friend can remember that young women in their pyjamas were out dancing in the streets.
In the big house — Craig House —soldiers from all over the country were stationed. The soldiers were welcomed into the village to take part in the celebrations. Some evacuees from Glasgow & from Wales stayed in the village for a good part of the war.
Jeanette remembers soldiers marching to the railway station at Gatehead — singing songs as they went. She also remembers being in Kilmarnock station waving to the soldiers going off to war.
Her father was away for 6 years — coming home on leave sometimes — and she can remember that she wasn’t sure who he was because she was very young and he had been to war. She also remembers seeing the bombing of Clydebank from Crosshouse — which is a fair distance. The sky was lit up because of the bombs at Clydebank.
Her uncle was a sailor and he managed to bring back bananas — the first Jeanette had seen. This uncle won a DSM medal in the Navy. He rescued people during the war — probably from the sinking of another ship.
Her mother was called up to work in the Barassie Works — she was a riveter making parts for aeroplanes. The blackout meant that they had to use torches to get to their work.

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