大象传媒

A year in Edinburgh

My husband Jack volunteered for the RAF on April 6th 1940 and was sent to Edinburgh Turnhouse. I went up there to live and started helping in the Overseas Club in Princes Street, with another airman鈥檚 wife and the wife of the vicar of the English Church in Corstophine. We had to make a very early start, a six-thirty tram into Edinburgh, three days a week.

One day hearing a low-flying aircraft I looked up and saw it had German markings. It turned out to be Rudolph Hess flying to see the Duke of Hamilton who was then in charge of Turnhouse airfield. Hess was forced to make a forced landing north of Edinburgh.

The Luftwaffe made some heavy raids over Glasgow. They flew over Corstophine on the way there. It was dreadful to see and hear. The fires could be seen for miles around. A bomb was dropped on the zoo an landed in the wolf鈥檚 enclosure. Some of the wolves were killed and some escaped but were captured the next day.

Jack was eventually posed to Lincoln to begin his gunnery training and we sadly left behind many friends we ha made in Corstophine.

Jack egan his flying duties as a rear gunner on a Manchester for three trips then on the new Lancaster for thirty four raids.

In 1941 I was pregnant and went down to Lincoln for Christmas. I stayed with Mr and Mrs Bell with whom Jack was billeted. I still write to their daughter Marjorie who was twelve at the time. I used to lie awake counting the aircraft going out and coming back. I could only cope staying for one week before returning to the island.

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