Events mark 85th anniversary of Clydebank blitz

A number of events have taken place to mark the 85^th anniversary of the Clydebank blitz during World War Two, in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

The town was targeted by German bombers on 13th and 14th of March, 1941.

Dunbartonshire’s Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Jill Young MBE, accompanied by Cadet Warrant Officer Connor McCairn, joined West Dunbartonshire’s Provost, Karen Murray Conaghan, WDC Chief Executive Peter Hessett and representatives from the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) and Polish Sue organisations, including Vice President Karol Polejowski, and Agnieszks Jedrzak, Presidential Undersecretary of State for the President of the Republic of Poland at the events.

The Polish Sue Association is an organisation set up in 2016 to promote good relations between Poland and the United Kingdom.

The dignitaries attended a memorial Service at Old Duntocher Cemetery.

There they laid wreaths at the communal grave, where many of those who lost their lives in the bombing, were laid to rest.

It’s estimated 1,200 people died, 1,000 were seriously injured by the bombs and hundreds more by blast debris.

The party later unveiled a new plaque honouring the crew of Polish warship, ORP Piorun, which was installed in partnership with IPN and Polish Sue to highlight the bravery of Polish sailors during the attack.

The plaque is situated on the Clyde beside the Golden Jubilee Hospital, at the rough spot where the Piorun was moored when she engaged the attackers.

Piorun was an N-class destroyer, transferred to Poland by the Royal Navy in November 1940.

From the beginning of her service, she participated in escort and patrol operations, protecting convoys and defending British ports.

In March 1941, the destroyer operated in the Clydebank area and played a key role in defending the city.

The crew, under the command of Commander Eugeniusz Pławski, opened fire on the German attackers with anti-aircraft guns.

Although the number of attacking Luftwaffe planes was overwhelming and the anti-aircraft defence forces limited, Piorun’s actions contributed to hindering the effectiveness of the raid.

After the events of the Clydebank Blitz, ORP Piorun continued to serve in both the Royal Navy and the Polish Navy.

Her most famous exploit was participation in the operation to locate and pursue the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. The Polish destroyer made visual contact with the enemy ship and fired on it alone, signalling its position to the rest of the British fleet.

The Luftwaffe attack on Clydebank was aimed at destroying strategic shipyards and industrial plants that produced vital equipment for the war effort. The raid lasted two nights, and German bombs virtually destroyed the city.

The dignitaries then laid wreaths at the nearby solidarity Plaza in the town, to remember those who lost their lives in the attack.

Clydebank suffered the worst destruction and civilian loss of life in wartime Scotland.

Over the course of the two nights, more than 400 Luftwaffe bombers dropped in excess of 1,650 incendiary devices and 272 tonnes of bombs.

Of 12,000 houses in the town, only eight remained undamaged — with 4,000 destroyed and 4,500 severely damaged.

More than 35,000 people were made homeless.

Clydebank's production of ships and materiel made it a prime goal for the Germans to destroy. Major targets included the John Brown shipyard, the Royal Ordnance Factory in Dalmuir and the Singer Corporation factory. RAF fighters managed to shoot down two aircraft during the raid, but none were brought down by anti-aircraft fire.

Afterwards, the party attended the official opening of an exhibition entitled ‘The Trails of Hope: An Odyssey of Freedom,’ in Clydebank Town Hall.