TRIBUTES made by local MP David Mundell to two very different Dumfriesshire stalwarts of World War II were made in the House of Commons this week during contributions marking the 80th anniversary of hostilities ending.
Mr Mundell also acknowledged the role played by many others in the armed forces and at home as the nation reflected on the end of the war in Europe (VE-Day) and looked further ahead this summer to VJ-Day, the milestone anniversary of the Allied victory against Japan.
Referencing local personalities, Mr Mundell said: “The first is Air Chief Marshal Lord Hugh Dowding, who was born in Moffat. Lord Dowding is the man who masterminded the battle of Britain, and it is generally accepted that he played a crucial role in ensuring that Hitler’s Operation Sea Lion — the proposal to invade this island — did not succeed. He was a tactical genius who knew how to manage the RAF resource and ensured there were detailed preparations for the air defences.
“The other person is David Shankland MBE. He was a great character in my local community when I was growing up. Davie, like a lot of people, was involved in an incident that was not an attack by the enemy but a ship carrying munitions that blew up in Bombay harbour.
“That ship — the SS Fort Stikine — blew up and took down the ship that Davie was on, HMIS El Hind, as well. About 1300 people perished in that incident, and Davie was one of only six people on his vessel to survive.
“He took that as a message that he needed to dedicate the rest of his life to public service, and that is what he did. When he was demobbed, he became a nurse. He was the first male state-registered nurse in the south of Scotland, and he went on to be a distinguished nurse tutor. That is the sort of impact the war had: people going through it and making it a positive experience.”
Mr Mundell also highlighted the home front efforts of many, including his own mother Dorah, who volunteered in her teens joining the Women Royal Army Corps and serving as a cook in south Scotland and Norfolk, and his aunt Margaret (Chrissie) who took on tough physical work on local farms as part of the land army.
Looking ahead to VJ Day in August, the MP explained the then local regiment, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, was heavily involved in the Far East campaign as were others within different regiments and services.
He pointed out that there was a feeling after the war that the those involved in the Far East campaign were somewhat overshadowed because the end came later than VE Day. This was despite the immense bravery shown, losses and hardship, including in the notorious Japanese PoW camps.
On a lighter note, Mr Mundell revealed newspaper reports of the time indicated that the VE Day party started earlier in Dumfries after the Provost made the embargoed announcement three hours before officially scheduled nationally!
