Three unexploded bombs dropped during a German raid in 1940 remain buried under Edinburgh streets, a fascinating police archive of wartime bombing raids has revealed.
Official reports on the death and destruction caused over a four year period and sent to the city authorities and the War Office, including crime scene police photographs, will go on display in a special exhibition from 1 May at the Edinburgh Central Library and will feature in a series of lectures.
Details contained in the valuable archive were known only to a small circle of officials due to war time news reporting restrictions, but it gives a unique insight into how the city dealt with up to 15 bombing raids over Edinburgh and Leith from 1939 to 1942.
The archive had been passed to Edinburgh Lothian & Borders Police Historical Society which will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 with the exhibition, a number of lectures and publication of a book.
Retired police chief, Tom Wood, said the incidents just remained in “living memory” of people who experienced the bombings and the society was keen to hear from victims, relatives, friends and neighbours who remember them, so that an oral history could be collected.
He said: “The archive is a collection of the usual tragedy, comedy and farce and is an important and fascinating history of this extremely dangerous time, which was at the peak of the Battle of Britain and when German invasion was thought to be imminent.“There will be some people who will still remember this dark episode and we would really like to hear from them so that we can obtain first hand their memories. To this day, few people know about the extent of bombing over Edinburgh and sadly there is no memorial to the 19 people who lost their lives.”
In an early morning raid on 4 August, 1940, five bombs were dropped over Portobello, all which failed to explode. Two which landed in Abercorn Park and were 100lb or 150lb high explosive bombs were later recovered by soldiers from the Royal Engineers and detonated in King’s Park.
But three other shells which landed in gardens in Abercorn Terrace and Argyle Crescent and on the street at Mount Lodge Place were more difficult to recover because of the soft sandy soil common in Portobello.
The Chief Constable’s report states: “Digging and pumping continued with a view of uplifting the other three, but without success and it was decided to leave them. They were then at depth of about 30 feet. Holes filled with 3ft. of concrete covered with earth. At 09.00 of 8th August the barricades were removed, Military withdrawn, and evacuees returned.”
Tom Wood with the wartime archive pictured at the site of one of the unexploded bombs in Portobello. Pic by Stephen Rafferty
One of the most tragic incidents happened on 29 September, 1940, at 27 Crewe Place in Drylaw, when five-year-old Ronald McArthur and his seven-year-old sister Morag were killed in a raid which injured 14 others, seven seriously who were detained at the Western General Hospital.
And the official report reveals that the siblings and other victims may have avoided death and injury if air raid sirens has been sounded earlier, giving them time to take refuge in an “Anderson” bomb shelter – which was later found to be undamaged.
The policy at that time was to delay air raid warnings so as not to disrupt industrial production. The archive records: “Following on from this raid a strong demand developed amongst the public and in the press for more frequent use of the siren. Attack has usually taken place before the sirens have sounded, as in this case, and it was alleged that if warning had been given in time the two children and perhaps all the others, would have been in their shelters and consequently safe.”
But the plea fell on deaf ears: “A meeting of Divisional Wardens at Leith expressed strong views to this effect and a report by the Divisional Adjutant embodying these views was sent to Senior Regional Officer Major R. Barclay-Brown. He rejected the idea of making any more frequent use of the sirens.”
Tom Wood added: “We would especially like to hear from any of the McArthur family of Crewe Place. The authorities did in fact change their policy around the earlier use of air raid sirens but sadly that came too late for the McArthur children whose lives may have otherwise been saved.”
Crewe Place “Anderson Shelter”
Archive report on Portobello bombing
Duff Street Distillery
One famous incident featured in the archive became the stuff of legend after the Portobello home of the then Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir Henry Steele, was allegedly “strafed” by German war planes. It was claimed a mirror on the Lady Provost’s dressing table had been shattered by German machine gun bullets but the truth is the culprits may have been based closer to home.
A photograph of the shattered mirror is in the archive and Tom Wood added: “It is highly unlikely a German bomber was strafing residential homes in Portobello and would be more concerned about the Spitfires on its tail in hot pursuit. The propaganda at that time would much rather have it that ‘the Hun’ was attacking innocent civilians rather than a case of wayward friendly fire from the RAF or our own air defence crews.
“In fact, a congratulatory letter from the Chief Constable to the officer in charge of air defence after two German aircraft were shot down, effectively says ‘well done chaps, but can I just remind you that if you are firing due south from the River Forth – what goes up must come down. Have care’.”
There are plans to publish a book, “The Bombing of Edinburgh and Leith”, which will capture the contents of the archive and commemorate the 19 people who died in the various wartime raids and those injured.
• The exhibition at Central Library, George IV Bridge, will take place from 1 May-30 September. The first lecture, at the City Art Gallery on 30 May, is already fully booked but more will be announced in due course.For anyone who has memories of the bombing raids and wants to get in touch please contact sec.elbphs@gmail.com
The ruins of 27 Crewe Place where brother and sister Ronald and Morag McArthur died in a bombing raid on 29 September, 1940.
Stephen Rafferty is a former crime correspondent at The Scotsman and was a staff reporter for the Daily Record and Edinburgh Evening News. He has freelanced for many of the Scottish and UK national newspaper titles. Got a story? Get in touch – stephen@theedinburghreporter.co.uk
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