- Contributed by听
- northscottie
- People in story:听
- Alastair John EVANS
- Location of story:听
- Foyers, by Loch Ness
- Article ID:听
- A2024272
- Contributed on:听
- 11 November 2003
I was two years old(born Feb 1939); brother Frank was a new baby in January 1941. I was his first day out in the pram. Mother got us all ready to go for a picnic on the loch side near to the aluminium factory. We left the house. When we reached the junction with the main road I changed my mind and told mother I wanted to go to the farm -- the opposite direction---. After much argueing mother gave in and we spent the afternoon with the farmer's wife and her family.
All too soon it was time to go home and off we set. When we reached the farm steadings there was an almighty roar and a twin engined German bomber roared overhead banked steeply over engines going flatout to gain speed and altitude. It then disappeared into the deep gorge of the River Foyers and made good its escape.
I do not remember hearing the bomb(s) go off, but the noise made all the farm cows and a lot of hens come round us and the pram, in fear. I could see the pilot looking down at me as I was looking up to see him through all the cows' heads.
Two men were killed that day when the factory was bombed. My father came home with a cut over one eye.
The bomber may have come from either Norway or Baltic coast near Danzig.
They did no serious damage. The factory was then camouflaged with living gorse and broom.
I can remember the sirens going off and going down into our Anderson Shelter, hearing the bombers going over but no bombs landed anywhere near us. Apparently they had decided to bomb the whole of the south side of Loch Ness as they could not find the factory but missed and bombed Loch More(high in the hills) instead.
We also had one of our southern cousins from London area billeted on us.
That was my war.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.