Description
Mr. McCrindle describes training in England, air raids in Glasgow, the air raid shelters in Glasgow and the morale of the Scottish people.
David McCrindle
Mr. McCrindle's father immigrated to Canada in 1911 and served during the First World War with the Black Watch of Montreal. He stayed in Scotland after the war and returned to Canada when David was two. Mr. David McCrindle quit school during the Depression as he couldn't afford the tuition. He worked for a Jeweller for $6.50 weekly and in June 1940 joined the Non Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) on nights and weekends. On January 9, 1941, his 19th birthday, he joined the "Woodstock Detail" and trained in Woodstock, Ontario. Mr. McCrindle went to Britain and trained as a signaller. He participated in the Italian Campaign and returned to Canada after the war.
Transcript
We were practising on imitation type guns, learning the drills and what have you, but eventually we got guns, and we would go on what we called them shoots. We'd go down to the coast, Clacton-on-Sea, places like that, Southend, and the beaches. The beaches were taboo for the civilian population because there were mined, but we were allowed to go on and at night we'd have the occasional shoot at enemy aircraft. I don't think we got any but we kept them, the idea is to keep them high so the fighters can get at them. And so we did that for a while, and let me see...
Interviewer: By that stage of the war, the battle of Britain of course had been over for some time...
The battle of Britain pretty well finished...
Interviewer: What was the nature of the attacks that the Luftwaffe were making at that time? Were they hit and run type of raids?
Well some of them were hit and run, they'd have, pardon me, they'd have, fighters would come in and strafe schoolyards. Which they did at, I think we were down around Lewis at the time, and they'd come down the main street, right over the main street and strafe the main street and occasionally they'd, there was a school down there and they got kids in there and everything. But, and then the other, they were still bombing Glasgow, because I went up there on my first leave and it was the first time I wore my tin hat in earnest. Because I had it on my gas, my respirator at the side, and I never had any idea of taking it off, but I was on leave and on it went, because there was shrapnel flying all over the place.
Interviewer: What was the, how did the Scottish people hold up when you witnessed this air raid?
Pretty well, but they went into their air-raid shelters, and those air-raid shelters wouldn't have done a goddamn thing for, as far as the bombing raid was concerned. They convinced me to come in with them, I went in just to keep them happy. Just a little, like a little small Nissen hut. Tin... not worth a damn. Maybe the bomb would deflect off, it was a sort of an arch, and it would deflect off it but I doubt it. If they got a direct hit it would be farewell.
Interviewer: By that stage of the war, the battle of Britain of course had been over for some time...
The battle of Britain pretty well finished...
Interviewer: What was the nature of the attacks that the Luftwaffe were making at that time? Were they hit and run type of raids?
Well some of them were hit and run, they'd have, pardon me, they'd have, fighters would come in and strafe schoolyards. Which they did at, I think we were down around Lewis at the time, and they'd come down the main street, right over the main street and strafe the main street and occasionally they'd, there was a school down there and they got kids in there and everything. But, and then the other, they were still bombing Glasgow, because I went up there on my first leave and it was the first time I wore my tin hat in earnest. Because I had it on my gas, my respirator at the side, and I never had any idea of taking it off, but I was on leave and on it went, because there was shrapnel flying all over the place.
Interviewer: What was the, how did the Scottish people hold up when you witnessed this air raid?
Pretty well, but they went into their air-raid shelters, and those air-raid shelters wouldn't have done a goddamn thing for, as far as the bombing raid was concerned. They convinced me to come in with them, I went in just to keep them happy. Just a little, like a little small Nissen hut. Tin... not worth a damn. Maybe the bomb would deflect off, it was a sort of an arch, and it would deflect off it but I doubt it. If they got a direct hit it would be farewell.
Metadata
Luftwaffe attacks
Medium
Video
Owner
Veterans Affairs Canada
War or Conflict Term
Second World War
Location/Theatre
Europe
Person Interviewed
David McCrindle
Branch
Army
Duration
02:43
