Scotland Versus Hitler [I Love History]

The German air raids on London are well known, but few people know that the second most bombed town in the UK was Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Or that the first Nazi raid on Scotland was on the Firth of Forth, when two Scottish RAF squadrons chased the Germans away, downing the first German plane to be shot down on British soil. The Clydebank Blitz is fairly well known, when the Nasties sought to cripple Scotland and Britain's capacity for building and repairing shipping, but few people know about what was probably the last air battle in Western Europe in April 1945 when Mosquitoes from Banff intercepted a German force of 18 planes and shot down 14 of them.
Lots of forgotten history there.

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BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

that's very interesting Helen , thank you !

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters I grew up in Moray, a few miles from RAF Lossiemouth (My dad was RAF) and the area has many memorials to the RAF squadrons that fought the Germans from there, flying missions against the Germans in Norway and to attack the German navy and protect the convoys to Russia.

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

@helensusanswift those RAF squadrons were true heroes .
RESPECT

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters It's a bit of a forgotten campaign. All the attention seems to be on France and the south while these lads battled the climate as well as the enemy.

milkymum1 · 31-35, F

Sadly you won't all the time UK History is mostly written by the English and let's face it they ONLY say about the good things they did.

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helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@milkymum1 Can't argue with that. But our own hierarchy in Scotland tend to ignore great chunks of our history as well.

milkymum1 · 31-35, F

@helensusanswift Oh I didn't know that; that's very strange. I mean here they never ever mention how Churchill decided to starve the people of Jersey and how he left them to fend for themselves, sidelined them completely but under Boris and co we were all in it together

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@milkymum1 Churchill was going to abandon Scotland if the Nazis invaded. "Ignore the screams from the north" I think the phrase was "Defend the English heartland." He was also going to hand Ulster to Eire in return for the use of Irish ports. Not at all the man of legend.

adorbz · 26-30, F

I didnt know this 👀 thanks for sharing

TheOneyouwerewarnedabout · 41-45, MVIP

Hollywood will write a script one day about a team of Americans there at the time.. put you right on the map 😎👍🕺🏻

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@TheOneyouwerewarnedabout Oh, no doubt. At that time the mood in the USA was not to get involved at all, while at one time in 1940 the only fully ready allied unit was a Canadian division; the Canadians never get the credit they deserve, in the Sudan War, the Boer war, Kaiser Bill's war or Hitler's War. The first massed German raid on Britain was on Orkney, too, but it's never mentioned in history books. Selective history is a bit frustrating.

TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M

I don’t think Swansea is on too many peoples radars either.

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@TheSirfurryanimalWales So tell them, Sirfurry! Let them know about the massive part Welsh regiments played in the Middle east in 1917 as well.

TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M

@helensusanswift And that.😀.You have inspired me to post about them now.

helensusanswift · 26-30, F

@TheSirfurryanimalWales Go for it! Educate the world.

Cymru am byth!

SW-User

Interesting thank you

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