VE Day recognition

“Regarding the recent article, Angus’s Virtual VE Day Tribute on 75th anniversary,” emails John Birkett of St Andrews, “surely Sir Robert Watsonwatt is quite clearly Brechin’s preeminent famous son!

“A descendant of James Watt and alumnus of St Andrews University/ Dundee College, he designed the world’s first practical radar system in the 1930s, which proved fundamental in saving Britain from invasion in 1940. Three other brilliant Scots also deserve VE Day recognition.

“Sir Hugh Dowding, Moffat-born head of RAF Fighter Command, conceived and developed in 1939/40 the radar-based integrated air-defences covering the east and south coasts; commissioned Hurricanes and Spitfires; and marshalled everything needed by 3,000 aircrew, immortalised by Churchill as ‘The Few’, to win the Battle of Britain, the first major battle fought only by air forces.

“Sir Bertram Ramsay, born in England with Scottish antecedents, planned and implemented in two weeks in May/june 1940 the Dunkirk evacuation by over 1,000 vessels of 338,226 British, French and Belgian troops trapped by German forces. They then formed the core of our army’s experienced soldiers.

“In 1943/44 he planned, co-ordinated and commanded the largest seaborne invasion in history – 7,000 vessels delivering tanks, vehicles, artillery, equipment, supplies and 156,000 men on D-day from England to Normandy, and a further 720,000 men by June 30.

“Eisenhower, naming Ramsay one of the 10 most impressive men he knew, said no one else could have organised such landings. Tragically, Ramsay died in January 1945 in an air crash outside Paris, on take-off for a meeting with Montgomery, becoming the ‘forgotten architect’ of D-day.

“Group Captain James Stagg, Dalkeith’s unsung hero as chief meteorological adviser, predicted for June 5 (the intended D-day) low rain clouds restricting air cover, high winds, and rough seas endangering landing craft. He convinced Eisenhower to delay it by one day when he forecast a weather-break long enough for credible hopes of success.

“In 1940, the USSR was Germany’s ally, supplying the Luftwaffe’s fuel to attack the RAF; the USA was neutral. Later as our ally, Soviet leaders admitted they would have lost the critical Stalingrad and Kursk battles without the massive shipments of food, supplies and 430,000 vehicles from the USA and UK, which were only possible by our winning the Battle of Britain – Hitler’s first major defeat since 1933 and the most important battle of the Second World War.”