THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

British aeroplanes carried out a very successful bombing raid this afternoon into German territory. A factory west of Saarbrucken, some 40 miles behind the German frontier, was attacked. Many bombs were dropped with good effect and fires were seen to break out in the factory. All of our machines returned safely. On the 16th inst. our aeroplanes took advantage of the fine period from dawn till 3pm to carry out artillery work and photography. A large number of bombs were dropped.

50 years ago

The Soviet Union will attempt to drop its Venus-4 space probe gently on to the cloud-shrouded surface of Venus this morning, a top Russian scientist said in Moscow yesterday. Dr Msrislav Keldush, president of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, said the craft would reach the planet at 5.30am BST. A soft landing was not the main aim of the space craft, launched in June. But the vehicle had been programmed for a landing, in addition to studying the planet’s atmosphere.

25 years ago

A Dundee security guard was tied up by two masked men early yesterday after they broke into the Timex factory in Harrison Road, Camperdown, and tried to steal from a cash dispenser. Mr Colin Thomson, 37, who lives in Lochee, was so shaken by his ordeal he has told his bosses at Glasgow-based Securiguard Scotland he will not return to work at the factory. “It could happen again any time,” said Mr Thomson last night. “I told my boss I am not taking this hassle for £2-odds an hour.”

One year ago

Travellers building sites without planning permission are playing a “well-rehearsed game of cat and mouse” with local authorities. Angus Council is currently fighting three different developments in the county. It is planning direct action to remove a site at Hillside, enforcement action has been taken against a Kirriemuir development and a stop notice has been issued against a site at Tealing. Tory MSP Alex Johnstone said: “The longer these cases take, the harder it is to resolve them.”