This post is one in a series of posts on the crash of an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362, which crashed into the sea 2-miles from Saltcoats Harbour on the 2nd of May, 1943. Sergeant Donald Ernest Watts (Service No 1250352, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, aged 21) To date, very little information and no photographs have been identified for Sergeant Watts. Efforts to …
Edward Harold George Dyer
This post is one in a series of posts on the crash of an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362, which crashed into the sea 2-miles from Saltcoats Harbour on the 2nd of May, 1943. The portrait photograph of Sergeant Edward Dyer in uniform shown above was provided by Vera and Jim Duncan. Sergeant Edward Harold George Dyer (Service Number 1606353, Air …
Titanic Exhibition: Your Last Chance To See It!
Our hugely popular Titanic exhibition is almost done and you only have until the end of the month to see it! Saturday the 27th of May is the final Saturday of the exhibition and Wednesday the 31st of May is officially the final day of the exhibition. If you haven’t had a chance to see it then this is your …
Leslie Noel Atkinson
This post is the first in a series about the crew of Whitley Bomber Z9362 of 24 Operational Training Unit that crashed into the sea, 2 miles from Saltcoats Harbour. The research that has been carried out is extensive, involving contributions from many individuals and organisations across the United Kingdom (UK) and in New Zealand. As new information is uncovered, …
HMS Vandal Has Been Added to the Stories Section
HMS Vandal was a British submarine that was launched on the 23rd of November, 1942 and had the shortest career of any Royal Navy submarine on record, being lost with all hands just 4 days after being commissioned. HMS Vandal was commissioned on Saturday 20th February 1943 and was last seen on Wednesday 24th February 1943 leaving Lochranza bay to undergo several …
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362 Crash at Saltcoats
One of the lesser-known local stories of World War II in North Ayrshire is the crash of a Whitley bomber, which crashed into the sea 2 miles off from Saltcoats harbour in 1943, with the loss of 3 lives. The crew of Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z9362 of 24 Operational Training Unit were being prepared for active service. They were tasked …
The ‘Stories’ Section Is Now Filterable By Location
Another new update to our website is the addition of locality-categories in our ever-popular ‘Stories‘ section. You can now filter our stories via a specific town: useful if you are conducting research on an area or if you just want to find out more about your home town! The filters include: If you are searching for one of the smaller …
Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston Has Been Added to the ‘Stories’ Section
The controversial Kilmarnock-born Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston has now been added to the ‘Stories’ section of our website! During WWI he served in France at the battles of Le Cateau and Aisne and would often supervise his command from a motorbike. He faced major criticisms for his time in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 and in the first day of …
John Galt Lecture: ‘A “wrong resenting” race? Characterising Popular Protest in John Galt’s Scotland’
Our friends at the Harbour Art Centre in Irvine are hosting a talk on John Galt on the 5th of May. If you are interested in this famous North Ayrshire figure, then why not check it out? A lecture by Professor Christopher Whatley, followed by a buffet supper with a glass of wine. Born in 1779, John Galt was a …
Titanic Days at the Heritage Centre
We have some exciting Titanic events coming up at our Heritage Centre in Saltcoats! On Thursday the 6th of April bring your children to this kids-orientated Titanic experience! They can dress up, handle objects and learn from our Titanic-historian Sean Szmalc. On Thursday the 13th of April come along and enjoy a tour of Titanic which will be given by …