Sunday 17th July 1941

Michael Rooney

1941

During that day I was walking towards Bearsden. I saw soldiers marching towards me with spades and pickaxes and shovels. I asked someone what was happening. They told me to keep your distance; he told me they were prisoners of war. As I was walking further I came across tanks and trucks moving towards Milngavie. There must have been camps for them to stay in. So I kept walking to Milngavie to find out where the camps were. It turned out they were further away, I would need to walk to Strathblane, so I gave up and just went home as it was getting late and my mother would be shouting for me. In those days you were told to get in the house for your own safety as there were warplanes flying overhead. So that is why we were told to stay in our homes. This went on for weeks; the siren would sound to let people know the German planes were coming. School was closed for the summer holidays but going anywhere was risky.

This is a true story.

Generations later it is still happening to families around Europe.