At the start of 1943 almost 300,000 German soldiers were trapped inside the Russian city of Stalingrad. On 9 January Paulus, the commander of the German 6th Army, refused a request from the Soviets to surrender; next day, artillery and mortars opened fire all along the front of the Soviet 65th Army prior to an all-out attack on the German lines.
The John O’Groat Journal caught the national mood of optimism after the fourth Christmas of the war: “The people … must have rejoiced in their hearts that the shadow had lifted and rays of light were filtering through… A spirit of quiet confidence prevailed wherever people gathered to mark the passing of the old and the coming of the new year.”
In the same newspaper, ‘Norseman’ noted that “All good Wickers will realise that the war has brought about one change that is significant: once more Hogmanay has passed without the traditional bonfire,” which used to take place on Shilling Hill. But, he added, the peace celebrations, when they came, would “include plenty of these blazing delights, since it is ever the habit of men who have survived social conflagrations to celebrate the fact in primal fashion with leaping flames.”
Schools went back after the Christmas holidays. The New Year was coming in cold, and the frost proved something of a hazard in the north of the county. On 6 January the Head Teacher of Crossroads School, Dunnet, recorded in the log book: “School reopened today. Owing to the frosty roads, the seven pupils from Dunnet Head were unable to be present.”
On 7 January Lybster Police reported an unusual hazard on the links: “This afternoon two
circular holes were discovered on the Golf Course at Lybster, about 100 yards and 200 yards respectively from the Railway Station there… Bomb reconnaissance officers examined the holes & have come to the conclusion that each contains a 250 kg unexploded bomb. The two crater shafts are water-logged.” The report notes that no one knew when the bombs were dropped, or even if they were German or British, “but local inhabitants state that two dull thuds were felt one night about a fortnight ago.”
Finally this week the police received a letter from W.A. Bremner of Stroma, concerning some New Year’s celebrations that appear to have got out of hand. “About 9.20 p.m. a couple of Rifle shots were [heard] coming from the direction of John O’Groats and again about 0010 on Thursday morning at the change of the watch we heard several magazines being fired off, some of common ammunition, others were tracers… On making investigation I find the Home Guards were out in that district that night. Some people here that were walking home that night heard the ping of the bullets whizzing through the air also the thud where they fell, in fact they were uncomfortably close to them. Whoever is responsible for actions like these should have his Rifle taken from him… We certainly don’t want this to happen again. Sorry to trouble you.”
