The Second World War and Peterhead

For those who had friends, relatives or a husband called-up to fight overseas, it was the start of six years of worry and, in some cases, great sadness. For those who remained at home, Peterhead suffered seriously from air attack, considering its small size. The town was a sitting target for Luftwaffe planes detailed to attack shipping rounding Kinnaird and Rattray Heads, while the naval base at Peterhead was a prime target. Peterhead was the recipient of 78 bombs, killing 38 people and injuring 44. Fifty-eight houses were destroyed and 1138 damaged.

The single worst incident was the bomb which fell on James Street in 1941. Everyone who was in the town at the time can remember how they heard about it, even those who didn't hear the noise. Some people coming out of the Playhouse in Queen Street were told what had happened by someone in the street. One family decided immediately to move to the more peaceful St Combs.

During the blackout, soldiers patrolled the streets, looking for a chink of light or anyone walking around; offenders could be fined or jailed. One woman remembered, "I was running over the Queenie and this soldier starts shouting at me. I just kept running but he said if I moved another step he was going to shoot me. I was only going home."

Evacuees were sent to the Peterhead area in 1939 from Glasgow, Clydesbank and London, but many returned home within a few months. RAF servicemen were billeted in houses in the town until their quarters at Longside Aerodrome were completed.

In conjunction with the rest of the country, security in Peterhead was very tight, particularly as it was such a prominent east coast town. The harbour was surrounded by barbed wire and check points were set up at various points in the town. The beach from the Ugie to Rattray Head was patrolled by the Coastguards, looking for spies coming ashore from submarines. The area behind the golf course was mined, leading to one unfortunate incident when a young boy was killed after wandering into the area.