Herbert's Experience of War in Edinburgh

Herbert, the contributor, lived on Granton Road. Before the war his parents sent him to Wardie School, just across the road. But father wasn't earning much during the 1930s recession, and because Wardie School was fee-paying, Herbert was then sent to Granton School, a council school. Herbert said it "didn't do him any harm". In the 1930s, Herbert remembers seeing Zeppelins flying over Granton.

Herbert was eleven years old when World War Two broke out. When war was declared, schools were closed for three months. From Herbert's family's house in Edinburgh, he remembers seeing a German bomber flying over, accompanied by two Spitfires. There were no sirens, so they didn't know that it was German planes! The planes flew over Granton and were below the level of a factory chimney; there were steeplejacks on the chimney. Herbert remembers seeing the German crosses. The German plane crashed in Humbie, East Lothian. Herbert remembers frequently being in the shelter.

Herbert has memories of playing with pals on Granton Road. When the sirens went off, they all rushed home, but nothing happened. As a boy, Herbert said that he almost enjoyed the wartime (especially during the period when children weren't going to school and were just playing together), although he feels embarrassed to say it now!

Herbert's cousins were evacuated from London to West Calder. At some point, they went back to London. But when the V-2 rockets started, they were re-evacuated up. This time, Herbert's male cousins stayed with him, and his female cousins stayed with his grandparents in Comely Bank Avenue.

Herbert's father was in the Bruce Peebles Engineering Company, a reserved occupation. But he joined the Home Guard. The Engineering Company was sent from Manchester to Edinburgh to get away from bombs (they were manufacturing important electronic equipment). Herbert's father served"to protect the factory with rocket battery". Ther was a rocket range at Newhaven to practice, and his father fired rockets into the sea. Herbert remembers going to watch the rockets being fired with his mother.

Herbet spoke about the importance of Norway to Germany. Germany had invaded Norway and wanted to get to the fleet anchored by Forth Bridge. Germany could get to the Forth Bridge and back from Norway but not from France as they didn't have sufficient fuel range. The Germans had also attempted heavy water production in Norway.

Herbert's cousin, William Bouldy, was killed while serving in the RAF. William was underage: he and his older brother had joined the auxiliary force, and when they found out his age, he had to get his mother's permission. He argued with his mother to let him stay in and he was killed immediately afterwards. Herbert said that he lived with William, and they were very close. William had been in the Auxiliary Air Force before the war, and when war was declared, William was brought into the City of Edinburgh Squadron. William was in the ground crew, based around the airfield in Hornchurch. When planes took off, the ground crew bussed to shelters. The bus that William was in took a direct hit and he was killed. William's body was brought back to his grandparents' house in Edinburgh. William said that they were all"waiting to see it" but the undertaker opened the coffin/casket and immediately closed it. Herbert noted that his William's brother was one of the first RAF people to land in Italy as ground crew.

Herbert was called up as a 'tweenie': joining just after WW2 ended and just before the Korean War began. Herbert said that when his grandparents found out Herbert would be called up, he was sent to visit them in Orkney. When the island boat came in, Herbert and his grandparents noticed that it was lit up with shiny lights. They said,"So the war must be over"!

Herbert noted that the army considerably helped his career. He started as a bacteriological technician but found that he was colour blind, so he went into electrical engineering and"never looked back". Herbert was called up to the Royal Signals; he did his primary training in Dreghorn and was then sent to Catterick. Just as Herbert was completing his engineering course, Class B release was introduced, and all the post office engineers were demobilized overnight. Herbert thought that they would be posted to"India or something" but they remained stuck in Catterick! Herbert spent two years there, and he said that it was great: it fixed Herbert's career after discovering his colour blindness and"settled you into the business". Herbert said that whilst looking after a training lab as an instructor, he met Field Marshall Montgomery, who came round to expect. Herbert noted that he must have given an over-zealous salute, and he remembers Montgomery's smirk in response!

At Catterick, Herbert said lights were out at 10pm, and you were not allowed anything after that. Herbert went out into the field behind the camp and put in several posts and connected them up. Herbert swapped the power so that it was negative (meaning on) and they had power through the night, even as the lights weren't on, so they could have their radios on at night!

Herbert did guard duty where trucks were positioned, although he had nothing to do with trucks himself. Herbert wondered what the trucks were like, so he got into one and pressed a button and it started. But he didn't know how to drive it, so he switched it off.

After coming out of the army, Herbert became an electronics engineer. He joined the Ferranti Company, initially as a radio mechanic. Performing well, Herbert rose to be a director of one of Ferranti's companies.