Navy’s Easter exodus

The biggest Naval exodus from Campbeltown since the war, when Campbeltown was a Naval base, took place on Monday when between 550 and 600 Navy men left at 1.20pm in a specially chartered British Railways paddle steamer for Gourock to catch train connections for the south and a further 50 went by two extra large British European Airways planes which had been put on to the route for the purpose.

The men were all from the Royal Naval Air Station at Machrihanish, HMS Landrail, and were in good spirits. They were going on Easter leave.

Now there is only a skeleton crew left at the station for the next 16 days.