German attacks continued on RAF fighter bases in the south east of England, inflicting heavy damage: at this time the RAF was losing more planes than it could replace. On 28 August Liverpool was bombed for the first time and then again over several nights (Merseyside would eventually suffer the second highest death toll in the Blitz after London, with some 4,000 casualties). In Germany, from 1 September all Jews were required to wear a badge, known as a Yellow Star, for identification.

In Caithness the subscription fund to raise money to pay for a Spitfire fighter plane was off to a good start, with people of all ages donating to it. The John O’Groat Journal reported that, “One of the most interesting contributions this week is that by little Patricia M.P. Brown, Wick, who has handed over 10s. – her savings in threepenny bits”. 

Captain Ian M’Hardy, the County Director of Education, wrote to the Area Education Officer at Inverness: “I am receiving a fair number of applications for books on mathematics and trigonometry from R.A.F. boys here. The books I supply from stock and I have also arranged for the mathematics medallist in Wick High School, who is a nephew of my own, to give some of them personal instruction. I know that R.A.F. does not come into your province but I really think that under the circumstances they should make some provision for education at this large aerodrome.”

Also this week the John O’Groat Journal reported that John Mowat had presented a collection of poems by James Calder to Wick Library. We mention this because many of John Mowat’s papers have been deposited here in the Caithness Archive Centre, and there are several books by James Calder among them, such as this printed copy of ‘Sketches from John O’Groats in Prose and Verse’ from 1842. 

Finally, if you have ever wondered what the best way to establish a roadblock may be, or set up an ambush with machine guns, here is the answer. The Home Guard were issued with a diagram showing the wrong and the right ways (“with correct dispositions”) when covering a simple road, a bridge, or a position with concealed pill boxes for use in training exercises, ready for the day when Germany should finally invade.  

Coming soon! Week 52, 2nd - 8th September 1940, will be published on Monday 2nd September 2013. To view previous issues please use the menus on the right hand side of the page.

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