Home Front - Keep Calm and Carry On in Aberdeenshire

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire lived up to the famous saying of Keep Calm and Carry On.  Daily life was drastically different when compared to life before and after the Second World War.  The following documents show how adapting to difficult circumstances became commonplace throughout the war and how nobody was unaffected by the changes it brought about.

Civil Defence Medal Application

As the Second World War drew to a close it was decided to recognise the efforts and hard work done by all of the people that had contributed to the Civil Defence services. Those that wished to, were allowed to apply to the County for the Civil Defence Medal.

The document pictured here is the first page of Reverend Howie’s application, which starts off by addressing the issue of becoming a Reserve in case of future need.

His statement sums up the fears that the Country had for the future about the continuing war in the Far East, but also seems quite prophetic about the growing tensions with the USSR.

“...As I am now over 69 years of age I don’t think I should ask to be put on the Reserve List, but if – which God forbid – there should be any special need within the next few years, I would be prepared to give service again if still in the County of Aberdeen.”

Requisition of Railings 1942

In order to deal with shortages during the War, it became necessary to salvage more and more materials.

At the beginning of 1942 the Minister of Works sent a letter to all local authorities in the country initiating the most famous salvage project of the War – collecting metal railings from properties to be re-used as part of the War effort.

A copy of the letter pictured here was sent to all buildings in Peterhead to inform them when the requisition work would be happening, and how the owners could appeal against the decision in regard to their railings, gates, bollards etc.

'Wings For Victory’ – Log Book of Sunderland Aircraft W4018, funded by BanffCounty

There were many national campaigns that were developed to support the War effort. ‘Wings For Victory Week’ was one such campaign in April 1943 that raised money for the construction of aircraft.

The Banffshire Savings Committee was one of the organisations that took part and raised £382,226 : 19s : 10d which represented the cost of building 4 Sunderlands, 25 Spitfires and 6 Sea Rescue Aircraft.

After the War, the Chief Librarian at the Air Ministry compiled commemorative log books for some of the aircraft that were built with ‘Wings for Victory’ money and sent them out to the participating organisations.

The images here have been taken from the Log for Sunderland W4018 which made its first patrol around the Scottish and Norwegian coasts on 19 August 1943.

The final image shows the log entry for its last patrol when it crash landed on 29 October 1943 after receiving flak damage from an enemy naval convoy.

 Aberdeenshire Schools War Salvage Campaign Trophy

Salvage of waste was a major way in which the Country dealt with shortages, and everybody, including schoolchildren, was expected to participate.

This trophy shows one method that was used to encourage children to take part in the salvage effort. It shows that Ballater School and Kinord School were the two schools that won the competition when it was being run between 1943 and 1944.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 21 June 1944

The Turriff and District Welcome Home Fund Committee was set up in 1944.  It was a charity which aimed to raise money for returning ex-service men and women, as well as those who had been called away from home during the war on work of National Importance.

At the meeting held on June 21 1944 in the Municpal Chambers in Turriff, the committee were asked how the money collected should be used.   A number of suggestions were put forward, as this entry shows.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 13 April 1945

The Welcome Home Committee decided not to press ahead with the suggestions of using the money from the Fund to build sports facilities.  Instead, they began to concentrate on raising more money and put out a letter appealing for donations to every house in the area.  The results, however, were rather disappointing.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 5 September 1945

It had been thought that the appeal had been unsuccessful as it had been made while the war was on.  Following the cessation of hostilities, the Committee discussed the situation











Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 28 September 1945

The Committee had decided to speak to farmers at the two marts in Turriff, and collect money for the Fund while there.  However, this did not have the desired effect.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 24 January 1946

The Committee turned its attention once more to the issue of the disposal of the money.  It was thought that a dinner dance for ex-service men and women could be organised, and steps were made towards this.  Unfortunately, there had been a similar idea mooted in Macduff and the signs were not encouraging.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 19 February 1946

A meeting was called by the Committee which was attended by ex-service men and women to gauge reaction to spending the Fund on a dinner dance.  Following the decision, it was put forward that the ex-service men and women form their own committee.

Turriff & District Welcome Home Fund Committee Minutes, 15 February 1947

The issue of what to do with the money in the Fund was still of concern to the Committee.  Finally, on 15 February 1947, a meeting was held with a new committee of the Turriff and District Welcome Home Fund.  This new committee consisted of ex-service men and women, as well as some of those from the original committee.  What this meant, however, was that the money could simply be handed over to the ex-service men and women who could then decide themselves how  to use the Fund.

The Fund by that point stood at £2241-3-10.

[Originally from our 2010 Home Front online exhibition]