Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2011
17 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Clydebank Blitz 70th Anniversary
In the past couple of weeks, we have seen some horrendous images of death and devastation from Japan on our television screens. There is no doubt that the scale of the natural disaster in Japan has been truly ferocious. We would not in any sense want to make a comparison between the Clydebank blitz and the scale of that destruction, but it is notable that such images of what happened in Clydebank are not available. There was substantial destruction and devastation in Clydebank—only seven houses remained undamaged after the events of 13 and 14 March 1941. The estimates of the number of people who were killed vary, but we certainly know that 500 or more people were identified as having died in the bombing and, of course, many thousands of people lost their homes and were obliged either to move elsewhere or to stay in the rubble of Clydebank for a period until a temporary shelter could be found.
The fact that all that happened in one town at one time makes it the biggest catastrophe of the second world war in Scotland. The second world war led to many millions of people being killed, of course, but that incident was the single most significant incident in Scotland and, arguably, the most significant incident in one place in the whole UK. In respect of the proportions of destruction and the numbers of people who were killed, what happened in Clydebank was every bit the equal of what happened in Coventry, London, Liverpool and other places, but the stories of those places were much better known at the time. The reason for that was that a lot of what happened in Clydebank was suppressed; it simply was not made known to people. Therefore, people from Clydebank have always, in a sense, felt that the story of the Clydebank blitz has been untold. It was something that happened to their town that they know about and that their friends and relatives were involved in, but it never got the publicity that it deserved at the time.
That sense of the story being untold or hidden continued after the war, to some extent. What happened in Clydebank was neglected a bit. I do not know the reason for that, as I was not around at the time, but it is only in recent years that what happened there has begun to be fully recognised. That has been the result of the stories of the people being told in books such as “Untold Stories: Remembering Clydebank in Wartime”, the book by John Hood, and the book by John Macleod that was published last year and tells the story of what happened there.
The fact that all that happened in one town at one time makes it the biggest catastrophe of the second world war in Scotland. The second world war led to many millions of people being killed, of course, but that incident was the single most significant incident in Scotland and, arguably, the most significant incident in one place in the whole UK. In respect of the proportions of destruction and the numbers of people who were killed, what happened in Clydebank was every bit the equal of what happened in Coventry, London, Liverpool and other places, but the stories of those places were much better known at the time. The reason for that was that a lot of what happened in Clydebank was suppressed; it simply was not made known to people. Therefore, people from Clydebank have always, in a sense, felt that the story of the Clydebank blitz has been untold. It was something that happened to their town that they know about and that their friends and relatives were involved in, but it never got the publicity that it deserved at the time.
That sense of the story being untold or hidden continued after the war, to some extent. What happened in Clydebank was neglected a bit. I do not know the reason for that, as I was not around at the time, but it is only in recent years that what happened there has begun to be fully recognised. That has been the result of the stories of the people being told in books such as “Untold Stories: Remembering Clydebank in Wartime”, the book by John Hood, and the book by John Macleod that was published last year and tells the story of what happened there.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-7738, in the name of Des McNulty, on the 70th anniversary of the Clydebank blitz...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab)
Lab
In the past couple of weeks, we have seen some horrendous images of death and devastation from Japan on our television screens. There is no doubt that the sc...
Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab)
Lab
I absolutely accept the point that Des McNulty is making, but on behalf of people in the east end of Glasgow, I ask him to convey to the people of Clydebank ...
Des McNulty
Lab
I thank Margaret Curran very much for her intervention. I think that other Glasgow members are well aware that the Luftwaffe lightened its load as it escaped...
Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I pay tribute to Des McNulty for bringing this debate to the chamber and I congratulate him on a fine speech. I associate myself with every word in his excel...
Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Des McNulty on bringing the matter before the Parliament. I speak as a member of a fairly blessed generation. Born post-war, I did not have to...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab)
Lab
Like other members, I congratulate my colleague Des McNulty on securing the debate. As his motion makes clear, it is 70 years since Clydebank was bombed. As ...
The Minister for Housing and Communities (Alex Neil)
SNP
I, too, congratulate Des McNulty on securing the debate and on his gracious and informative speech.Before addressing the issue, I pay tribute to Bill Aitken,...