大象传媒

These stories were told to East Ayrshire staff at their tea party on the 11th June 2004.

Two sisters were in the WAAF 鈥� one was stationed in Blackpool before going to Karachi. The other sister was in Aden for two years. The younger sister 鈥� then aged 9 鈥� got a letter from her sister serving at the skin hospital in Karachi telling of the insects and beasties that she saw.

Molotov Cocktails 鈥� the LVD (which later became the Home Guard) issued their members with Molotov Cocktails that were stored in the garden shed. The young children would play in the shed they were stored in, but didn鈥檛 play with them because they had been told not to. Molotov Cocktails were bottles filled with paraffin and stuffed with a rag 鈥� they would be lit if needed and thrown at enemy invaders.

On the night of the Clydebank Blitz, the orange glow from the fires could be seen from the tops of the hills around Kilmarnock.

Galston housed some evacuees 鈥� in one case an unmarried mother went to stay with a spinster and two bachelor brothers, which caused some eyebrows to be raised. The mum eventually met someone and settled in Galston.

Polish soldiers were housed in Loudoun Castle. However, young girls would walk back from Guides and wouldn鈥檛 be afraid.

One lady鈥檚 mum worked in the NAAFI to entertain the troops as the Brodie Sisters in Stewarton (and her mother still does at the ages of 79)

War brings romance 鈥� despite living in neighbouring villages one couple met on the final night of the Stewarton man鈥檚 leave. They met while the lady was 鈥渟tepping out鈥� with a man from Dundee. However, the relationship with the Dundee man was broken off and the Ayrshire couple married.

There was a great sense of community during the war 鈥� one group of friends took it in turn to go shopping with the third staying at home. The third friend would fill hot water bottles and put them on their seats to heat them up on their return (which also saved on coal).

Making butter 鈥� the top was taking off the top of the milk and put in a screw jar and spend the night shaking the bottle to turn it into butter.

Shopping was done every day as there was no fridge.

Cars were mothballed as there was no petrol, but really not many people had cars 鈥� the vet, the doctor and farmers.

Sweeties 鈥� one man really remembers eating his first Crunchie after sweet rationing ended.

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