大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Aileen May, volunteer of Kirriemuir Library, on behalf of Jenny Norrie and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I am Mrs Jenny Norrie (nee Scott). I was born in 1912 in Forfar and stayed there until I married and moved to Kirriemuir in 1946. Although I lived through World War 1 I do not have any memory of it. I was 27 years old when World War 2 began.

My maternal grandfather owned the Pavilion Picture House in Forfar, and picture houses in Glasgow and Galashiels. My family managed the Pavilion Picture House in Forfar on my grandfather's behalf. My mother, my two brothers, my sister and myself were all involved in running the business. In the days of silent films my sister played the piano during the showing of the film and a brother played the violin. They played music appropriate to the story and the action in the film. One of my jobs was issuing tickets and handling cash.

I was a fire warden in the Air Raid Precaution service. I still have my certificate, which I got in May 1943, and my arm band with one strip on it. Part of a fire wardens training was in putting out incendiary bombs, though fortunately I never had to use this skill.

I have vivid memories of the sirens going off in Forfar to warn of the approach of German planes. One night in particular, I remember - a beautiful, clear, moonlight night, so bright it was almost like daylight, the sirens were going, I got ready and went to the A.R.P. assembly point at the East Church in Forfar. I was out all night and could see the shadows of the German planes going across the sky, wave after wave. I could recognise that it was German aircraft as there engine sounds were different from British aircraft.

The next day I learned that Clydebank had been bombed and realised that the waves of aircraft I had heard the night before had been on there way to Clydebank. My eldest brother was in the army, and stationed in Clydebank at the time and my sister and her husband lived in Glasgow. My brother-in-law was janitor at Whiteinch School where many of the casualties of the bombing were taken. My mother and I were very relieved when we learned that they had not been injured.

There was an air raid shelter in a vaulted building by the Pavilion Picture House but at a lower level. My mother used to make tea for the air raid wardens.

I recall that three unexploded bombs fell on Balmashanner (hill near Forfar). I heard that they were to be detonated one Sunday. Myself and others climbed on to the flat roof above the Picture House through an opening above the operating room to watch. However, we did not see anything but heard the loud bangs as the bombs exploded. I believe the bombs were jettisoned by German aircraft on there return journey to Europe.

Forfar had Scottish troops stationed in the town, then Polish troops. The Polish soldiers were billeted with local families and other places in the town, for example, the drill hall on The Vennel.

Polish soldiers often went to the Pavilion Picture House. On Sundays they held concerts in The Pavilion to raise funds. They had a choir and a band, both very good and enjoyable to listen to. Before they left the town, the Polish soldiers made a presentation to my mother of a red leather autograph book, which had a photograph of their choir inside and all their autographs, and the emblem of Poland embossed on the front cover.

As i mentioned my eldest brother Bobby Scott, was in the army, initially stationed in Clydebank, then he was posted to India. He got compassionate leave after about two years on account of his wife Dorothy being terminally ill. Bobby served the rest of the war in Scotland and was demobbed when the war ended.

My youngest brother, Jimmy Scott, was in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He served in Egypt but was later captured by the Germans in Crete. He was sent to the prisoner-of-war camp Stalag 7A. Jimmy was there for four years until the war ended. For a long time my mother and I did not hear of or from Jimmy, but then letters began to arrive. He was allowed to send one letter and one postcard per month from the camp.

My mother and I used to send Jimmy parcels through the Red Cross. These parcels had to be within a certain weight and we could only send one per month. It was some months before the arrangements for sending parcels were set up. I used to go to the Red Cross to pack up Jimmy's parcels, and I would try to pack as much as possible into them. Once later in the war Jimmy wrote to mother saying not to send any more parcels as he had enough, however we kept sending them, and wrote to him saying to give away what he did not need to Russian prisoners-of-war.

I remember going to meet Jimmy when he returned after the war ended. I met him at Forfar Railway Station - he was so changed I hardly recognised him. He was ill and had to spend time in hospital.

After the war both Bobby abd Jimmy returned to the family business of running the Pavilion Picture House.

Jimmy did not talk about his wartime experiences, except once, he talked of his time on Crete. He was there when the Germans invaded. He and others were trying to retreat and they withdrew into the mountains. He told of finding an opened tin of meat, and of being so hungary he ate the meat even though it had had maggote on it when he found it.

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