Working in a Munitions Factory, Glasgow

The contributor's father, Robert McKechnie, was born in 1917. Robert lived in a town called Whitburn and worked as a mining engineer. While waiting on his call-up papers, Robert hoped to go to the RAF, but ended up with the Navy. Robert was terrified because he couldn't swim. But he then received another letter that told him to ignore his call-up, because he was in a reserved occupation. During the war, Robert was in Whitburn. The rationing wasn't so bad because it was supplemented by local farms' produce. The contributor said that her father's main memory was of working in a local pit and watching the sky go black, because something was happening in Glasgow. Robert joined the Home Guard and hated it. He was stationed in a valley, signaling from each side of the hill, but found it cold and wet. Whitburn was quiet but a plane crashed in the park and all the locals went down to see it. The contributor said her father remembered going to Glasgow on the back of a bike during the war and going to the matinee performance at the theatre to get back before dark (and maybe to get back before the nightshift).

Robert's youngest brother, Andy, was in the RAF and served in Africa. The cigarette case came from Andy. The date on the object is 1946. The contributor wasn't certain on the details of the object's origin - but Andy met an Italian POW during his RAF service, and they became friends. The Italian made cigarette cases, so Andy asked if he would make two for his brothers. The metal is from an airplane.

The contributor's mother, Elsie Round, was born in 1922. The contributor noted that her mother's war experience was different as she was brought up in Glasgow. Elsie worked in a munitions factory and watched for incendiary bombs on the roof, although she wasn't sure what to do if she saw one. The main thing the contributor said her mother talked about was rationing, and that she could still hear the bombs. Elsie considered joining the Land Army but decided to stay in the munitions factory with her friends! Elsie remembered being in George Square on VE Day with everybody! She loved being in crowds and people-watching so would have loved it!

The contributor said that her parents spoke about war constantly throughout her life. Although, her mother didn't talk about anything specific. The contributor doesn't know if she was traumatized or if she was just a happy-go-lucky 16-year-old who didn't really care! Elsie never told stories about going dancing, but her best friend married a GI and emigrated to Canada! Throughout life, Elsie would say 'during the war...'. Robert loved music his whole life, and the contributor grew up listening to war records.