Military

A WELL-KNOWN Rosneath Peninsula man played an important role in the discovery of a sunk submarine in 1951 because of his involvement with the development of underwater television.

Former Kilcreggan Primary School and Hermitage School pupil John Revie — known to all as Jack — took part in finding the wreck of HMS Affray, a submarine which mysteriously sank with all hands off the Channel Islands.

THE RAISING from Loch Striven of three Highball bombs — tested by the Rhu-based Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment — hit the headlines in July 2017.

It happened around the time of the unveiling of a memorial stone at Kidston Park to commemorate the war time activities at RAF Helensburgh, home of the MAEE.

FORMER ‘Wrens’ in Helensburgh and district celebrated the centenary of the Women’s Royal Naval Service in 2017.

They include people like Bletchley code breaker Mrs Betty Balfour, who signed up to the Wrens at the age of 17, and a former Helensburgh Citizen of the Year, Mrs Jean Holland.

A VISIT to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at RAF Helensburgh in 1940 by Sir Henry Tizard was a prelude to what is said by historians to be the most important secret mission of World War Two

A team of six headed by Sir Henry went to America with a black box of secrets. With him were two of the world’s experts in radar, Dr Robert Watson-Watt and 24 year-old genius Edward Taffy Bowen.

ONE of the most colourful Lords Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire was a senior naval officer who had a highly successful career at sea and on land.

Admiral Sir Angus Edward Malise Bontine Cunninghame-Graham, KBE, CB, was the only nephew of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, the celebrated Scottish author, explorer and politician, known as Don Roberto, and was his heir.

ONE of Helensburgh’s best known navymen, Captain Ernest Turner, CBE, DSO, DSC, DL, RN, was involved in setting up the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane, and had several other claims to fame.

After his childhood in the burgh he went on to have a distinguished career in submarines in World War Two, was a key figure in preparing for the introduction of Polaris missiles at Faslane, and was Vice-Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire.

ONE of the saddest events in the history of the Gareloch is the K.13 submarine disaster, which took place on January 29 1917.

What follows is the third of four accounts of the tragedy, found recently by Rhu man Alan Dundas. It is a long and fascinating article by Alastair Borthwick illustrated with sketches.

HELENSBURGH has become a focal point for people wanting to find secret information about World War Two.

RAF Helensburgh was a flying boat base with around 375 people sworn to secrecy about what they did. As a result, more than 70 years later, this can present a problem for relatives tracing loved ones to wartime Helensburgh.

A WORLD WAR ONE hero who died in Helensburgh’s Victoria Infirmary on September 28 1972 at the age of 93 was immensely popular with the local regiment, the 9th Argylls, for his courage.

Major George James Christie DSO, who spent his final years at 13 Douglas Drive East, won the medal for his gallantry at the Second Battle of Ypres in May 1915.

THE MAN who organised the reunions of Helensburgh and district service personnel who fought in the First and Second World Wars was a highly respected town resident.

Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Laird MacConnell, DSO, TD, served the community over many years and in 1950 gifted his then home, Clyde View in East Montrose Street, to the Church of Scotland for use as an eventide home.

AN IMPROMPTU visit to a charity shop on Merseyside transported retired journalist Robin Bird to the Gareloch and Helensburgh of April 26 1940.

For there was a large scale plastic model kit of an Arado 196 A floatplane, the same type of floatplane that crashed that fateful day.

THE VIEW down Charlotte Street in Helensburgh and across the Clyde must have been a very welcome change for a World War Two soldier hero when he returned from captivity.

The Helensburgh and Gareloch Times reported his return to the burgh in the early summer of 1945 with the headline ‘Repatriated’.