大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Claire White of 大象传媒 Scotland on behalf of Ruth Nicol and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was working in Woodside Post Office on Great Northern Road on the corner of Bank Street as a Post Office assistant aged 17 years old. My job consisted of taking off telegrams telling parents their sons were missing or killed, paying allowances and pensions money to mothers and widows. The KOSB regiment were stationed at Hayten Camp there and we were a busy office.

The Postmistress was Mrs Fraser who had come in from Alford PO with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr and Mrs William Forbes, and their nine-month-old daughter. They stayed all together in a house at 33 Brown Street, Woodside.

This certain night the German bombers came to Aberdeen, Bill and Cath the daughter and son-in-law were in the Astoria Picture House beside the Northern Hotel at Kittybrewster when the siren went. They rushed home to be with Mrs Fraser and their wee girl and went for refuge below the stair as most folk did when the siren sounded. They got a direct hit and all the family were killed.

I stayed with an aunt in Aberdeen and went to work as usual next morning. I could not explain the devastation at 22 which was the centre house. Clothese were strewn all over the road amongst their furniture. It was complete chaos and I did not stay long because it was horrendous. The keys of the safe were lost in the debris and of course the Post Office had to be closed until alternative staff could be arranged to pay pensions and other everyday work of the PO. Mr Booth of the neighbouring PO at Bucksburn took over and work went on as usual.

The funeral took place in Ellon of that whole family of Fraser and Forbes whose father was granite merchant then. A whole family of four completely wiped out in one night of bombing in Woodside. Probably the target was the railway station in Kittybrewster. I'll never forget it 62 years ago.

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