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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bhall dhen Luftwaffe a leum às an itealan aige le paraisiut. Bha sin anns an Dùbhlachd naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a ceithir (1944) faisg air Sgoraig ann an Ros an Iar. 

Chaidh an Gearmailteach timcheall airson grunn uairean a thìde. Mu dheireadh, lorg e taigh-croite. Bha boireannach agus a dithis nighean a-staigh. Ghnog an Gearmailteach an doras. Chaidh tè de na nigheanan ann. Bha làmhan a’ Ghearmailtich os a chionn. Bha gunna-làimhe aige ann an tè dhiubh.

Ghabh an nighean an gunna bhuaithe. Dh’iarr i air a dhol a-steach. Thug iad biadh is aodach dha. An uair sin, chaidh i don nàbaidh a b’ fhaisge. Chaidh esan tarsainn an Locha Bhig ann an eathar. Chaidh e gu bogsa-fòn. Chuir e fios do na h-ùghdarrasan.

Taobh a-staigh grunn uairean a thìde ràinig soitheach aig a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail Sgoraig. Thug iad am prìosanach air falbh gu Loch Iubh.

Chaidh mì-fheum a dhèanamh, bho àm gu àm, de stuth-spreadhaidh thar bliadhnaichean a’ chogaidh ann an sgìre Loch Iubh. Bha saighdearan a’ faighinn trèanadh ann am Poll Iubh anns a’ Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre. Bha iad a’ togail sgilean a’ bhlàir a-muigh fo stiùir a’ Mhorair Rowallan.

Dh’fheuch saighdear a bha seo ri bradain a ghlacadh ann an Abhainn Iubh. Ach cha do bhodraig e le slat no lìon. ’S ann a thilg e greinèad don uisge! Dh’obraich e agus bha spreadhadh mòr ann. Gu mì-fhortanach, ge-tà, bha am Morair Rowallan faisg air làimh air taobh thall na h-aibhne. Cha robh e toilichte!

Turas eile thug seòladairean cuireadh do bhoireannaich dhol air an HMS Bermuda ann an Loch Iubh. ‘Ciamar a tha an gunna seo ag obair?’ dh’fhaighnich tè de na boireannaich. Tharraing seòladair air an lainneard ach bha slige anns a’ ghunna. Chaidh an t-slige dà mhìle agus thàinig i sìos faisg air taigh. Mharbh i muc agus a h-uirceanan. Agus chuir i leanabh a-mach às a’ phram aige. 

Gu fortanach cha robh an leanabh air a ghoirteachadh. Chaidh buidheann on Bhermuda don àite airson iarraidh air a’ chroitear agus a theaghlach an leisgeul a ghabhail.

I was telling you about a member of the Luftwaffe who jumped from his plane with a parachute. That was in December 1944 near Scoraig in Wester Ross.

The German went around for a few hours. Finally, he located a croft house. A woman and her daughters were inside. The German knocked on the door. One of the girls went. The German’s hands were above him. He had a handgun in one of them.

The girl took the gun from him. She asked him to go inside. They gave him food and clothes. Then she went to the nearest neighbour. He went across Little Loch Broom in a boat. He went to a phone box. He informed the authorities.

Within a few hours a Royal Navy vessel reached Scoraig. They took the prisoner away to Loch Ewe.

Misuse was made, from time to time, of explosives through the war years in the Loch Ewe area. Soldiers were getting training in Poolewe at the Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre. They were picking up outdoor skills under the guidance of Lord Rowallan.

One particular soldier tried to catch salmon in the River Ewe. But he didn’t bother with a rod or net. He threw a grenade into the water! It worked and there was a large explosion. Unfortunately, however, Lord Rowallan was nearby on the far side of the river. He was not pleased!

Another time, sailors invited women onto HMS Bermuda in Loch Ewe. ‘How does this gun work?’ asked one of the women. A sailor pulled the lanyard but there was a shell in the gun. The shell went two miles and came down near a house. It killed a sow and her piglets. And it put a baby out of its pram.

Fortunately the baby was not injured. A delegation from the Bermuda went to the place to apologise to the crofter and his family.