THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Major K. M. Laird, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, whose name is in the list of officers awarded the D.S.O., is well known in Dundee, having been for some time after the outbreak of war brigade major of the Tay Defences Staff under the late Brigadier-General McKerrell. Major Laird is an Englishman and is a son of the late Colonel Laird, of the wellknown Birkenhead shipbuilding company. Second-lieutenant Robert Forbes of Arbroath was awarded the Military Cross.

50 years ago

One hundred and sixty people – most of them holidaymakers – died in two air crashes at the weekend. A giant holiday airliner, plunging on to a built-up area of Stockport, in Cheshire, yesterday morning sealed the blackest 12 hours of British aviation history. Crash one came at 10.15pm on Saturday when 88 died in a crash in the “evil triangle” over the Pyrenees, near Perpignan. Crash two was at 10am yesterday when 72 sunseekers plunged to their deaths in an industrial area of Stockport.

25 years ago

Motorists who discovered their vehicles covered in yellow paint in a car park at Dundee harbour are wrangling over who will pay expensive clean-up bills which could total more than £10,000. Up to 60 vehicles, including a £35,000 BMW, are believed to have been affected by a paint spraying incident adjacent to Prince Charles Wharf. Drivers discovered the damage when contractors were painting the legs of the oil rig John Shaw, moored at the wharf while undergoing repair work.

One year ago

Andy Murray’s voice cracked as he tried to sum up what his latest piece of British tennis history meant to him. By beating defending champion Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals of the French Open, Murray became the first British man since Bunny Austin 79 years ago to reach the singles final at Roland Garros. Tomorrow he will face his old enemy, Novak Djokovic, as he bids once again to emulate Fred Perry, the last British men’s champion in 1935.