Meat rationing came into force on 11 March, joining butter and sugar which had been rationed since 8 January 1940. Unlike these other goods, meat was rationed by price (typically a shilling’s worth a week). On Wednesday 13 March the Finns finally signed the Moscow Peace Treaty, ending hostilities after three and a half months; under the harsh terms of the treaty, although Finland’s independence was preserved, but it was forced to hand over substantial lands to Russia. On 16 March a German air raid on Scapa Flow caused the first British civilian casualty of the war, James Isbister of Orkney, aged 27.

Over on Orkney Hetty Munro experienced this “first land air raid of the war”. She had been at dinner, ready for a dance later that night, when planes were heard overhead. As the Germans had only flown reconnaissance flights up till now, “we calmly went on eating”. But soon bombs began to fall, sounding like “huge iron balls bouncing on the roof”. Several incendiary bombs started fires around her hotel, and they could see “a huge fire lighting up the sky in the direction of Stromness”. There were reports of civilians being injured and parachutes coming down: “After this the Navy would not take the girls with them but hunted round for revolvers, rifles, etc. and went away in the direction of the flames at Stromness.”

Then, as she recorded in her diary: “No one of course thought about there being any dance at all but to everyone’s surprise people began to come along about 9.30 and we had a grand time dancing until very late. It was just what one needed to make one forget the horrid noises”.

This week, the John O’Groat Journal carried a picture of Seaman Hugh Macleod of Ackergill Crescent, Wick, who had been killed when the armed cruiser Rawalpindi was sunk last November (see Week 15: 11-17 December 1939).

Registration for National Service had been extended to everyone who was 24 years of age. Now it was reported that 930 men had registered from Orkney, Sutherland, Caithness, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness-shire, Nairn, Moray, Skye and Lewis. Six of these identified themselves as conscientious objectors.

The much-debated “protected area” for the North Highlands finally came into force this week, and anyone who wished to leave or enter it had to obtain a permit. People were advised to get a photograph to save “time and trouble”, especially “if one recollects that the time and trouble may occur at an unpleasantly early hour in the chill atmosphere of Inverness Railway Station”.

Ironically, as the so-called Phoney War had dragged on and no bombings took place, the John O’Groat Journal concluded this week, “… it is not likely that the sparsely populated areas have a great deal to fear from air raids. The dropping of accidental bombs, as was the case of Orkney, is perhaps about the worst that need be feared.”

Coming soon! Week 29, 18th - 24th March 1940, will be published on Monday 18th March 2013. To view previous issues please use the menus on the right hand side of the page. 

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