Signs of the past (4)

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Signs of the past (4)

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From: <sahaley@xx.net>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001

Jimmy, you may have known my grandad who was a plater at the that time in Ardrossan shipyard, wee Charlie Martin. He later became provost of Saltcoats, also became an ardent pacifist as a result of all the haphazard use of young life at that time. the wee park that you mentioned, was that close to Clark place? My husband's family lived there at that time, but all their stories were of throwing the baby (who is now 60) into the laundry basket and heading for the hills. Bad and scary enough on a dry cold night but as we know, these can be few and far between unless is was the paisley fair.

sandra h


From:<mildredgrant16@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001

Hey maybe I'm just too young to know what an air raid shelter is or was, I will describe it and hopefully someone will know what it is or was, it was built below ground level and made of red brick, it had a door into it and was roughly about 12'x12', so tell me what it is or was, and Scott was big Rab Pendelton and Jessie live next door to your parents or was that after your parents left, I was brought up in the bungalows until they were demolished and know that area of the town extremely well, often going where I shouldn't have been going.


From: <bobg@xx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001

Hugh,
The sea mine you refer to was (is?) on the "border" between Saltcoats and Ardrossan. On the shore esplanade corner just before you turn to go over the level crossing and the SMT bus station.It was painted red and white and was for collecting donations.

Bob Galloway


From: Jimmy Laughlan Salt > USA
To: threetowners@ topica.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001

Hi Sandra. Yes, I think I remember him, if it's the same person I am thinking of, did he have a Son About 18 who was a welder at the same time, Whose name I can't recall either, memories tend to fade after a while, if it's him! I can faintly picture his jolly wee face, now that you mention his name. But it is so long ago, my Granddad Jimmy Bigham operated the old steam crane at the end of the plater's shed a while before that, and my Uncle Wullie operated the big electric crane you see in that picture of the dry-dock, next to the houses where he lived, during the War, a lot of my relatives, on my Mother's side lived in those wee houses, that must be about where the Arran boat docks now. Ta for now.
Jimmy Laughlan.


From: <sambukka@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001

Richard
I remember my mother telling me about the Aircraft Carrier, she is 89 at the moment, and still remembers it. She was about 28 at the time and remembers everyone who had a small boat went out to get the survivors, when the were brought ashore at Ardrossan Harbour, her mother who stayed there gave them sheets, blankets and clothes to cover them up, most of them had lost all their clothes, were covered in oil and badly burned.


From: <dickiemax@xxl.com>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001

Sam,
Nice to know there were people there to help them poor guys like your Gran & Mother I did'nt get around there until next morning. Awful mess. Admiralty would not admit it, Jerry Sub got it. It was not sailing, Just sat there for two months. when the British were pushed out of Europe "Dunkirk" Half the British fleet were sitting up at Greenock behind the boom defence idle. Same for this carrier. Sat to long let there Guard down.D.M.



From: <dickiemax@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@ topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001

During the war there was a plane would drag a target up and down the north shore in Ardrossan, There were navel ships firing on the target here's the part I don't know, they were dropping small parachutes all bright red in colour, about the size of a small dishtowel, they kept coming in with the tide, and were hanging on the telephone wires for miles. Can anyone throw some
light on it D.M.


From: <jamesbarr50@xx.com>
To: "threetowners" <threetowners@ xx.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001

A reader has asked about small parachutes dropped from a plane well the most likely explanation is that they were for the gunners who were practicing to give them the state and speed of the wind so they could ajust there firing accordingly but know doubt some1 might be abl to throw more light on this subject.
jim barr (blakjak50)

Signs of the past 5
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