大象传媒

From 1939 to 1942 I was evacuated with my brother and sisters to Dornie at the junction of Loch Alsh and Loch Duich. This will be best known to readers as the location of Eileen Donan Castle. Pre-war, and for the first years of the war, supplies for Dornie and the villages around Loch Duich were delivered by boat, the Isa Reid. This was a 30 to 40 foot long ex fishing boat, with a little wheelhouse aft and a short mast and derrick forward, used to lower the supplies into the central hold. It was owned by Danny Macrae, one of the locals, and for the price of a packet of cigarettes he would let us lads act as crew. One Saturday morning my brother (then 12 ) and I (then 9) 'signed on'
This had to be early (5.00am) as the supplies were collected from Kyle of LochAlsh, which was then the base for the Northern Mine Laying Squadron, and one of the rules was that we had to dock and then leave from Kyle by 9.00am. We then chugged round the lochs unloading the supplies (varying from bread to drainpipes) at the villages. We arrived back in the late afternoon, tired but excited at the days exploits.

The following day, Sunday, was the day for my weekly chore, writing a letter home to our parents. At least I had something to write home about!

During the war the area north of the Caledonian Canal was a 'Prohibited Zone'. Special Identity cards were needed for adults to enter it, and all mail from that area was opened and censored. So it was a few days later my missive came back with a note - " Movements of Allied Shipping must not be disclosed"

Was I the youngest Allied Seaman?

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