Now that the war in Europe had essentially been won by Germany, on Monday 10 June Italy opportunistically declared war on Britain and France; three days later German troops occupied Paris. The French cabinet moved to Bordeaux and voted for an armistice with Germany. In desperation Britain proposed a full political union with France, but the French Government rejected the idea and Prime Minister Reynaud resigned; he was replaced on 16 June by Marshal Petain who immediately contacted Germany for a cessation of hostilities. Also this week, Norway finally surrendered and Soviet troops began the occupation of Lithuania.
Several Caithness men who had taken part in the retreat to Dunkirk were now home on leave, and the John O’Groat Journal reported some of their stories. One man from a Field Ambulance unit recounted how his section had been ambushed and all their vehicles destroyed. They crawled for a mile to escape and finally walked 14 miles to the beach, which was under heavy German fire, and where they were picked up almost at once by a small boat. Others weren’t so lucky: one man said he was stuck on the beach for four days in a company of 500 men before being rescued; their provisions were half a tin of bully beef and two biscuits.
Meanwhile the impact of the war on everyday life increased a little more, as sign posts and village signs were removed to make life harder for an enemy invasion force. Captain M’Hardy of the Home Guard was told this week by a correspondent: “I observed on my way to Wick that all sign posts and mile stones have been removed, but the Post Offices have their signs up yet at Ulbster and Thrumster. I expect they are all the same on the coast road going south. Surely the Post Office is the first that should take down their signs – if Jerry lands he would welcome them”.
The John O’Groat Journal reported that a system of road blocks would be set up across the county’s roads “from time to time”, and manned by members of the armed forces or the Home Guard. “Traffic will be stopped and identity cards of those using the roads will be examined.” Anyone found without proof of identification would be detained.
Meanwhile, the police continued to receive and pass on reports of sightings of the enemy. On 13 June the station at Wick received the following telephone message from Clyne: “About 6 p.m. yesterday, 12th June, I saw what I thought to be a submarine off the Coast of Staxigoe going Southward.” The message was endorsed: “R.A.F. Operation Room informed.”
Finally this week came news of an unexpected restriction of the wart – that camping was now forbidden “within a certain distance of the East Coast” – a development which would have an impact on visitors and residents alike. As the paper said, “Not since the days of the Vikings have residents in the North of Scotland been so sharply brought up against the realities of war as they are at the present moment”.
