WWII Stuff

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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:25 am

JONIBOYS wrote:Hi Guys
My father past away a few years ago, never talking of his experience in the war, Iknow he was an acting Captain with the Seaforth Highlanders when they went to North West Europe in 1944, 1 month, returning for 3 months in 1946, He was John Hughes Adam. I think he may have been wounded in 1944. I would appreciate any information anyone may have on him or the Seaforth during this time.


Hello Johniboys, and welcome to HG, I'm sure you'll find a lot here that will interest you. If you go to Google and enter "Seaforth Highlanders, North West Europe, WW2" you'll obtain information about your father's regiment and, hopefully, some information which might guide you to other sources. By the way, Fort George, Inverness, was the headquarters for this regiment. It would be very helpful if you knew to which battalion your father belonged. You're likely aware that the Seaforths were amalgamated with other Scottish Highland Regiments some time ago. Good luck with your search Johniboys! Cheers.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby enailer » Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:24 pm

Did a mini submarine or two go through the Forth and Clyde Canal. I`ve heard this story on more than one occasion and have wondered about it.The older bloke who told me this said they sunk the Bismark (Dubious)
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Its_a_gamp » Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:19 pm

enailer wrote:Did a mini submarine or two go through the Forth and Clyde Canal. I`ve heard this story on more than one occasion and have wondered about it.The older bloke who told me this said they sunk the Bismark (Dubious)


Bismark was torpedoed by the Ark Royal, then scuttled by the Germans.

I have a vague recollection of being told about mini subs and the Clyde canal, but I can't remember the story or if it was true or not, will ask around though unless anyone else knows
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Roxburgh » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:48 pm

Its_a_gamp wrote:
enailer wrote:Did a mini submarine or two go through the Forth and Clyde Canal. I`ve heard this story on more than one occasion and have wondered about it.The older bloke who told me this said they sunk the Bismark (Dubious)


Bismark was torpedoed by the Ark Royal, then scuttled by the Germans.

I have a vague recollection of being told about mini subs and the Clyde canal, but I can't remember the story or if it was true or not, will ask around though unless anyone else knows


I thought it was a torpedo from one of Ark Royals Swordfish planes that disabled Bismarcks steering gear allowing the pursuing Royal Navy ships to catch up with her and also causing her to reduce speed and lack the manoevering ability to fight effectively. She was then engaged by RN battleships Rodney and KGV as well as smaller British ships and reduced to a blazing hulk. There is controversy over whether she was scuttled or whether she was finished off by torpedoes from Dorsetshire. It doesn't really matter as the result was the same.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby well skelpt coupon » Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:06 pm

Howdy,

Yup, a Swordfish attack disabled the Bismark's steering and allowed the Royal Navy to catch up with her. She went down with all flags flying, as witnessed by one Ludovic Kennedy no less.

On a completely unrelated topic, I wonder if anybody can help clear up a little mystery. A few years back, I was told by an ex Special Policeman that Scotland, possibly Montrose, was invaded by the Germans. I've never found out if this was true or not.

Has anyone else heard about this and, if so, details please!

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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:29 am

well skelpt coupon wrote:On a completely unrelated topic, I wonder if anybody can help clear up a little mystery. A few years back, I was told by an ex Special Policeman that Scotland, possibly Montrose, was invaded by the Germans. I've never found out if this was true or not. Has anyone else heard about this and, if so, details please!Regards


WSC, I have never heard anything about this at all, and very strongly doubt if any such thing, remotely resembling an invasion, ever took place (in fact, I'll give you a categoric no!). The east coast of Scotland, more in Fifeshire than elsewhere, was the major base for Polish soldiers during the war and maybe your ex-Special Policeman acquaintance, heard of or saw these foreign-speaking soldiers training from landing craft around Montrose. A German aircraft, loded with new radar equipment, did intentionaly land at an RAF airfield on the Scottish east coast , much to the delight of the RAF; and German spies did land in Scotland around the Cromarty Firth, but they were captured before their Hartwürste had time to get cold... I'm sure that's as close as the Germans ever got to invading Scotland.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby well skelpt coupon » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:45 am

Howdy Dugald,

An invasion does seem unlikely considering the troops etc. stationed around the area. But one wonders if a raiding party perhaps attacked some secret and strategic installation. This is all neccessarily vague as I'm making it up as I go along. :) But a radar station would be worth raiding or disabling. Especially to let the Germans get, say the Tirpitz, into the war.

Could a Special Policeman mistake Poles in Allied uniform for Germans? Possibly, actually, as a journalist rigged out in full SS workwear strolled about London unchallenged!

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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Lucky Poet » Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:06 pm

I'm afraid I can't add much to the Montrose subject, other than to say the last time I was there (1995-ish) the beaches were crawling with old pill boxes and the like. I wish I'd been into photography at the time.

Anyway, here's an Enigma machine seen in the NMS, posted here cos it seems like the most fitting place:
Image

Some rotors for the same:
Image
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby floweredpig » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:11 pm

The east coast between Johnshaven and Carnoustie have some of the best preserved WW2 anti -invasion implacements in Scotland.Something to do with the threat of invasion from Norway i think

This is a good site http://www.Pillboxesuk.co.uk
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:40 pm

well skelpt coupon wrote:Howdy Dugald,An invasion does seem unlikely considering the troops etc. stationed around the area. But one wonders if a raiding party perhaps attacked some secret and strategic installation. This is all neccessarily vague as I'm making it up as I go along. :) But a radar station would be worth raiding or disabling. Especially to let the Germans get, say the Tirpitz, into the war.
Could a Special Policeman mistake Poles in Allied uniform for Germans? Possibly, actually, as a journalist rigged out in full SS workwear strolled about London unchallenged!Regards


"a raiding party perhaps attacked some secret and strategic installation"

I don't think so WSC, not to my knowledge anyway. This is the sort of thing Britain did a good many times, but the Germans were too busy elsewhere and didn't have the means of carrying out this kind of sea operation.

" Especially to let the Germans get, say the Tirpitz, into the war."

The Germans did get the Tirpitz into the war, but it didn't do much good. The German Navy failed to use it to any great extent when a major British convoy was on its way to Russia and Hitler "grounded' the mighty battlship for the rest of the war; well, until we hammered it into uselessness in a Norwegian fiord

"Could a Special Policeman mistake Poles in Allied uniform for Germans? "

I suppose he might have. but I'd guess there wouldn't be much chance of this happening, unless it happened during the night or some such weather siruation... thick fog for example. I'm pretty certain no attempted invasion ever took place in Scotland.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:42 pm

'Anyway, here's an Enigma machine seen in the NMS, posted here cos it seems like the most fitting place:"
Great pictures Lucky Poet, and i think you posted it on the correct thread. Needlesstosay, the enigma had a great deal to do with WWII.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:49 pm

I had a look at your sites Floweredpig, and they give some great shots of Scotland's East coast defences. Yes, they didn't just have something to do with the threat of invasion from Norway, they were all about the threat of invasion from Norway. Well, they may well also have had something to do with giving the Germans the impression that the Allies were going to invade Norway, and this was an area used for training for a landing in Norway from the sea...just guessing.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby floweredpig » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:04 am

You are right on that one Dugald
There were a number of decoy airfields set up along the coast and some were eventually made fully operational and used to train fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain.There is a particularly well preserved at Hatton between Carnoustie and Arbroath.The reason it is so well preserved is that the farmer that owns it doesnt let anyone near it,it has Hangers,Dispersal Huts,Accomadation,Bunkers etc in brilliant condition.The farmer used to let me and my mates play there when we were young as my grandad owned the next farm along.Imagine reading Commando comics the night before and then playing with the real thing! Happy days.

A stray bomber,i think it was a Heinkel He111,was shot down on my grandads farm in 1942,it had apparently been part of a bombing run on the Dundee docks and was heading for home when a squadron from RAF Leuchars intercepted them.Found on board amongst the mess tins was a jar of Kiellors Dundee Marmalade!

Grandad kept a piece of fuselage and fashioned a brooch in the shape of a dove from it that my mother was given and she still has.
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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby well skelpt coupon » Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:32 pm

Howdy,

I had my doubts about the invasion/raid/skirmish story too, but, and this is subjective, the old guy that mentioned it then changed the subject completely and refused to discuss it any further. But if you consider that whole swathes of the coast were off-limits, anything could have happened and covered up by the 100 Year Rule. I love a good conspiracy. :twisted:

The Enigma machine is a subject and a half. Supposedly convoys were routed through known Wolf Packs in order to preserve the image that the German codes, and there were several, were unbreakable. Very much a case of sacrificing a few to save the many, but no comfort to the victims or their relations.

Strangely enough we stopped intercepting and analysing Soviet traffic during the war. Which only made Stalin suspicious - so he increased Soviet intelligence penetration.

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Re: WWII Stuff

Postby Dugald » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:07 pm

floweredpig wrote:There were a number of decoy airfields set up along the coast and some were eventually made fully operational and used to train fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain.There is a particularly well preserved at Hatton between Carnoustie and Arbroath.The reason it is so well preserved is that the farmer that owns it doesnt let anyone near it,it has Hangers,Dispersal Huts,Accomadation,Bunkers etc in brilliant condition.The farmer used to let me and my mates play there when we were young as my grandad owned the next farm along.Imagine reading Commando comics the night before and then playing with the real thing! Happy days.
A stray bomber,i think it was a Heinkel He111,was shot down on my grandads farm in 1942,it had apparently been part of a bombing run on the Dundee docks and was heading for home when a squadron from RAF Leuchars intercepted them.Found on board amongst the mess tins was a jar of Kiellors Dundee Marmalade!
Grandad kept a piece of fuselage and fashioned a brooch in the shape of a dove from it that my mother was given and she still has.

A very interesting post Floweredpig. I can readily imagine the fun time you must have had as boy playing around all that military stuff. Why, I wonder, would the German plane have had a jar of Kiellors Dundee Marmalade! Who knows, maybe there was a picture of the Kiellors factory on the label and the observer was using it to help with the bomb-run navigation.That's a great souvenir your mother has. The only part of a Luftwaffe machine I ever managed to get was a wee nut 'n bolt I managed to pick up when the R.A.F. brought an Me 109 which was visiting all the high schools in Glasgow to Govan High.
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