The Russian offensives over the winter to liberate Stalingrad and drive the Germans back had eventually petered out, leaving a large salient jutting into German-occupied territory around the city of Kursk. Now the Germans were massing troops for an offensive to eradicate the salient and recapture the initiative on the Eastern Front; however the Russians, who knew what was coming, were making preparations to resist the attack. Also this week, the Allies continued bombing targets in Italy and Sicily.
In the John O’Groat Journal Norseman celebrated the coming of summer: “Without any question we have now arrived at the most attractive month of the year as far as Caithness is concerned. Even those disgruntled Servicemen who have had all sorts of harsh things to say about the Caithness climate are now agreeing that the county is not such a bad spot after all.” Soon the purple heather would be out, while “Down on the cliff faces the clusters of red campion attract the eye from a distance, and on the rocks far below there is the contrasting whiteness of the breaking sea.”
On 28 June Detective Sergeant Edwin Carter came across a crashed plane near Wick. As his report states: “while on motor patrol duty at Skitten, by Wick, I observed smoke rising from the direction of Lower Reiss. I immediately proceeded there and I found that a “Beaufighter” plane had crashed a few minutes earlier in a field at Lower Reiss Farm at the East side of the main road. The plane was burning fiercely.” Luckily both crew members survived the crash, though one of them was slightly injured and had been conveyed to Wick by George Henderson of Reaster in his motor lorry.
Taking advantage of some fine weather, the school log book for Dunbeath School records that the pupils were getting their education outside on 29 June: “This afternoon all pupils, in charge of their teachers, with the exception of the boys of classes P.IV, V and P-PI, who were taken by the Headmaster for a geology excursion along the beach, went for a nature study ramble up the strath.”
Finally this week, schools across Caithness broke up for the summer vacation, many of them with a school treat. At Dunnet Public School, “Children, parents and friends enjoyed a picnic on the beach, the weather being glorious. A programme of races and games was gone through and money prizes awarded.” After tea, “Each child also received a threepenny bit, gifted by Mrs Dann, Roadside, and a sixpenny saving stamp, the gift of Mrs J. Wilson, The Hotel.”
Coming soon! Week 201, 5th – 11th July 1943, will be published on Monday 4th July 2016. To view previous issues please use the menus on the right hand side of the page.
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