THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A battle, particularly a successful one, yields a whole crop of evidence as to the condition of things with the other side. From the testimony of prisoners taken during the fighting on the Messines Ridge and from unposted letters found in captured dugouts we gather a fair idea as to the effectiveness of our bombardment and its effect upon the enemy morale. It would appear as though the discipline of the German army is being maintained upon even more cast iron principles than heretofore.

50 years ago

Dundee’s Chief Constable, Mr John H. Orr, has asked for approval for a scheme to employ 24 civilian men and women to release policemen and women for active police work. His scheme, costing £6,500 a year, would enable him to make use of retired policemen and married women in the civilian jobs. Mr Orr stated that the number of men who resigned or retired last year greatly exceeded the number of recruits. The force was now 56 men and two women under the authorised strength.

25 years ago

An Angus couple fled from thier car only seconds before it was engulfed in flames on the M90 near Kinross last night. Mr James Smith and his wife Vicky, of Newtyle, were on their way from a day out at the first stage of the Scottish International Rally at Knockhill when they began to experience problems with their Vauxhall Nova. They noticed smoke coming from under the bonnet of the car and were forced to stop directly under the flyover at the Granada Service Station.

One year ago

Two Fife families are thanking their lucky stars no one was killed after a car ploughed into the side of a house on Saturday. Homeowner Pete Murphy, 63, spoke of his shock when the black Ford Focus being driven by local man Barry Moon crashed into the side of his Crosshill property – just yards from where he was sitting. Despite extensive damage to the side of his house, Mr Murphy emerged unscathed, while Mr Moon was taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital for further treatment.