Ayr care home resident shares memories of surviving devastating WW2 bombing
AN AYR care home resident has been sharing her memories of surviving the infamous Clydebank Blitz in March 1941.
Lorna Graham, a resident at Greenan Manor Care Home in Doonfoot, recalled how she and her family endured one of Scotland’s most devastating air raids of the Second World War.
Lorna was only nine years old when she took refuge with her family in an Anderson shelter for two days whilst Luftwaffe relentlessly bombed the areas of Clydebank and Glasgow.
She said it was her father’s knowledge of building shelters in the trenches during the First World War that kept her family safe during the air raid.
Lorna’s father Andrew, an engineer, had previously fought in the Battle of the Somme.
He was concerned about the instructions given by the Ministry of Defence on the construction of the new Anderson shelter. He dug the base of the shelter much deeper every day to ensure it matched the measurements of the former WWI shelter.
“My father’s actions saved the lives of our family,” Lorna said.
When Lorna and her family eventually emerged from the shelter, they found their home was one of many that had been completely destroyed along with all of their possessions.
Following the devastation, they were all evacuated to a farm in Ayrshire for safety.
Over two nights - March 13-14 and March 14-15, 1941 - the Luftwaffe targeted industrial sites along Clydeside. Glasgow suffered the most fatalities, but relative to its population, Clydebank was the worst affected.
When Lorna was asked if the sound of the bombing had any lasting effect on her mental health, Lorna replied: “No, not at all, because when we were hiding in the Anderson shelter my parents continually assured myself and my sister Anne to not be afraid.
“They told us that it was just a great adventure.”
Elaine Hughes, manager of the Tiree Avenue care home, which is operated by Meallmore Ltd, said: “Lorna is a much-loved resident here at Greenan Manor, and her courage to share this remarkable story with us is admirable.
“It is important we keep telling these stories to educate future generations of these events, and to pay respects to those who endured this hardship.”