THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Viscount French, addressing officers of the Liverpool Volunteer Regiment yesterday, asked them to dispel the ridiculous idea that Volunteers were not wanted and that the authorities did not pay much attention to them. It was a false and erroneous idea. The War Office appreciated their services to the utmost and were sure those connected with the movement would do all possible to make the Volunteers a really efficient body and worthy of their record. They should be prepared for home defence.

50 years ago

Dundee busmen’s ban on standing passengers on corporation buses is to continue. The routine monthly branch meeting last night of the Transport and General Workers’ Union reaffirmed their protest at the freezing of their increase in wages. The corporation busmen banned standing passengers and worked to rule on overtime. Dundee is one of the few places where busmen have taken action to back their protests. The 9s 3d increase agreement has been frozen by the Government.

25 years ago

Veterans of RAF Bomber Command hit back after criticism from Germany over plans to erect a statue of their Second World War commander, Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris. The flak came from Dresden, a city Allied bombers virtually destroyed in 1944 with the death of thousands of civilians. Authorities there are angered by the plans for the statue in London of Sir Arthur, known as “Butcher” Harris in Germany. The statue will be a memorial to all 55,000 Bomber Command airmen who died.

One year ago

Homes near the former RAF base at Leuchars are highly unlikely to be used to accommodate Fife’s share of Syrian refugees. Around 140 refugees are expected to come to the kingdom over the next four years, as part of the 20,000 anticipated across the UK between now and 2020. But while there have been calls for Fife Council to look into using empty properties at Leuchars, it is understood that temporary accommodation in central Fife will be the local authority’s preferred solution.