On 22 July, with their supply lines stretched to breaking point, the Germans were forced to halt their invasion of Russia to allow their armies to regroup. Hitler now decided to overrule his generals and change strategy: in future the aim would be to damage Soviet economic and military production. Hitler therefore ordered the attacks on Leningrad in the north and the Caucasus in the south to be reinforced at the expense of the central drive on Moscow.
Winston Churchill officially launched the “V for Victory” campaign, by which the V-sign would come to symbolise resistance to Germany. The John O’Groat Journal printed Churchill’s rallying call: “The V sign is the symbol of the unconquerable will of the occupied territories and a portent of the fate awaiting Nazi tyranny.” The letter V was chosen because it was the first letter of “victoire” [victory] in French, and “vrijeid” [freedom] in Dutch, as well as “victory” in English.
The John O’Groat Journal also noted, “In Thurso there do not appear to be many “Vs” yet. One can be noticed in Thurso near the entrance to one of our hotels.”
The Navy were proposing to requisition the Mutual Service Club in Wick for the purpose of billeting dockyard labourers, and Ian McHardy, the County Director of Education, wrote to protest because “the building was essential for educational purposes owing to the fact that all 
three elementary schools in the town had been occupied by the Forces.” He acknowledged that the premises had been requisitioned before, for “a period of a few weeks when there was an unusually large influx of R.A.F. men before the aerodrome was completed, and for a few weeks when [there was] a change in the Harbour Guard.”
Mr McHardy was also a colonel in the Home Guard and the County Welfare Officer; now he received a letter from the Watten Home Guard asking for recreational supplies: “Things we should like if possible to get are wireless sets (we have only one here for 2 companies and 10 officers), books, games of all sorts, and a set of drums for a dance band, darts (we have the board but could do with some more if available). We are trying to get a recreation hut, corporals’ room and canteen, so you will see that a good deal is really needed.”
Finally this week, Charlie Chaplin’s satirical film The Great Dictator, making fun of Hitler and Mussolini and highlighting the persecution of the Jews in Europe, came to the Pavilion Cinema in Wick. As the John O’Groat Journal put it, “This topical film … has been shown all over the world, with the exception of Germany and Italy, of course.” The Great Dictator, which was Chaplin’s first true talking picture, would eventually become his highest grossing film, taking $11 million worldwide.
