Foreword
I was extremely fortunate to receive some exciting documents from Sadie McHarg a few years ago. She knew I had started to write a novel set in Crosshouse during WWII. Among these documents were 10 pages written by Charlie Hannah, who was assisted by Sadie’s father, Jimmy Stewart. They wrote as if they were young boys taking us on a walking tour around the village of Crosshouse, describing the layout, shops, businesses, and people.
Initially, I couldn't open the documents, so I made some handwritten notes. When I eventually managed to open them, I found I couldn't edit them. Regrettably, after my mother passed away and then COVID-19 reared its ugly head, I lost my appetite for writing, and the novel remains unfinished.
While sitting at the traffic lights on the bridge in Crosshouse the other day, I wondered, "Where was the entrance to the Crosshouse Junior football team changing rooms located?" Then I wondered how I even knew about this place—Sadie's documents came flashing into my mind.
To cut a long story short, I have now succeeded in changing the format of the documents and carried out some sympathetic editing. My intent has been to preserve the essence of their narrative while making it accessible to a contemporary audience. This balance was delicate. On one hand, there was the unmistakable charm of their original words and expressions; on the other, the need to explain and contextualize their references for those unfamiliar with the terms. Hence, the inclusion of explanatory brackets
One part of the memoir mentions Crosshouse Hospital. Construction began in 1972, and it opened in 1984, so it would be fair to say the memoir was written sometime in the 70s and 80s.
I hope you enjoy reading and reminiscing as much as I did. The two gents really brought Crosshouse in the early 20th century to life as only someone who has lived it can. I have added some wartime memories at the end from various individuals who answered my call for help when I was researching my book.
The memories of Crosshouse, as recounted by Charlie and Jimmy, serve as a time capsule. They transport readers to an era where life was simpler yet profoundly rich in experiences.
Their writing also emphasizes the communal spirit that defined Crosshouse. The sense of belonging, mutual respect, and shared experiences are vividly portrayed. Such narratives underscore the importance of community, something that modernity often obscures.
Moreover, the wartime memories added at the end provide a poignant contrast. They highlight the resilience and fortitude of those who lived through the uncertainty and chaos of WWII.
In conclusion, while the novel remains unfinished, the journey with these documents has reignited my passion for writing. The memories of Crosshouse, lovingly preserved by Charlie and Jimmy, serve as a testament to the village’s rich heritage. As I move forward, I remain committed to completing the novel. Watch this space!
The village will always hold a special place in my heart, not just as a backdrop for my novel but as a symbol of resilience, community, and the enduring power of memory. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I hope you find as much joy in these memories as I have.
Jacqueline Heron Wray, March 2025.
Crosshouse, A History, by Charlie Hannah and Jimmy Stewart.
The old name of the village was Corshouse. Originally, it was known as Corsehouse Muir.
Crosshouse is part of the parish of Kilmaurs. The church was built in 1882, but prior to this date, the people of Crosshouse went to different churches, some to Kilmarnock, others to Kilmaurs and a few to Dreghorn.
Those who went to the parish church in Kilmaurs walked up through Knockentiber and then halfway to Kilmaurs, where a path branches off to the right, goes under the railway and through the fields to Kilmaurs church. This is the right-of-way.
From 1870 until the church opened in 1882, Crosshouse was served by a missionary probationer appointed jointly by Dreghorn and Kilmaurs. He conducted services alternately in the outlying parts of both parishes. In 1882, a church costing £6,000 was built. In 1887, the manse was built, costing £1,400, raised by public subscription. Mr. Pollock Morris of Craig contributed £500 towards the pipe organ.
In October 1704, the members of Kilmaurs Kirk Session in the Crosshouse area petitioned for a school in Crosshouse, and the whole Session, after due consideration, promised the sum of 11 shillings and 8 pence (58p) per annum for encouraging the school in the area. This must have been a drain on their resources, as we find that between 1739 and 1765, it was reduced to 5 shillings (25p) per annum.
In 1804, the heritors (a privileged person in the parish in Scots law) agreed to pay one hundred merks (13 shillings and four pence, exactly two-thirds of a Scottish pound) annually as a salary to the Crosshouse teacher.
A school and schoolhouse appear to have been built by subscription around 1808, as at a meeting in 1820, it was recorded that a small debt remained.
In 1887, a new school and schoolhouse were built on the site of the original school, this was done under the auspices of the School Board. It was extended between 1901 and 1911 to meet the increasing population. Below is a list of schoolmasters.
Allan Orr | 1705 |
Mr. Gilbey | 1750 |
Thos. Brunton | 1753 until 1762 |
Arthur Smith | 1755 until1757 |
Thos. Walker | 1757 |
Andrew McTire | 1758 until 1759 |
John Duff | 1759 |
Arch. Gillies | 1761 |
Robt. Boxentoor | 1761 |
Daniel Thomson | 1763 until 1765 |
James Johnstone | 1765 |
Arthur Smith received his appointment from the Session of the Secession Church of Kilmaurs.
Mr. Smyton, the minister, had interested himself in Crosshouse school at this time, and the teacher received a gratuity from the Poor Box to enable him to exist on the pittance he was to receive as schoolmaster!
The’ Brig’
Before the bridge was built, the road went down the brae (hill) to Hunter's Garage and across a ford. The riverbanks were then built up, steps were made down both sides to the burn, and large stones were placed to enable you to cross the burn.
It was in a house on the burn side here that Andrew Fisher, Labour Prime Minister of Australia was born. If you look closely at the end of the bridge, at the Laundromat, you will observe steps on both sides at the lower end of the bridge leading down to the burn. This enabled people to draw water for washing purposes.
Where the Laundromat stands now was a row of cottages. They were in ruins by the early 1920s. There was also a shed where Will Stewart kept his horse and wagonette, which was used to carry people to and from Kilmarnock before the motor bus came along.
Murdoch's Smiddy, where horses come to be shod and farm implements repaired, was well utilised.
Next is Carmel View, which was owned by the Keast family, who also owned the butchers shop at the Cross, which is presently owned by the Co-operative. There was a field behind the shop which was used to graze sheep.
Behind Carmel View, there were sheds which were used to keep pigs. They were slaughtered on the premises.
We now come to the Co-operative Buildings, which contain several dwellings and housed the Co-op tailor, cobbler and drapery departments.
Later, the drapery moved to new premises, and the dairy took its place.
This was the end of the village proper, there was an open field at the far end of which were two nurseries, one owned by Michael Brown and the other owned by George Brown.
There was a large house, Craufurd Hill, which was the home and surgery belonging to Dr. McLaren.
In Dr McLaren's time, there was no waiting room for patients at surgery times, and patients had to wait outside and shelter against the gable end of the house. Sometimes, we were fortunate to find shelter in the garage. Later, Dr McLaren opened a surgery in an old shop, which is now an open space between the Cross Garage and the petrol pumps. Eventually, a cottage was demolished, and the present clinic was built in its place.
(There is no longer a petrol station in the village. That area is being used as a car wash at present. I believe the building that housed a surgery for Dr McLaren was called Finlay’s buildings. My father was born there. Its replacement was built to the left of what is now the car wash. When I was a child, the drapery was on Irvine Road where the chemist is now. The Coop butcher was next to the Coop bakery where the Spar now stands. There is a shop selling mobility aids opposite the car wash that was once the Coop grocery store. )
What is now the Post office was at one time a tenement building called Montgomery's Buildings, and the Post Office was situated on a small triangular piece of ground at the end of the building.
What is now Annandale Lane was known as the Boo'in, and some of the houses were occupied by workers employed at Annandale Farm.
The village ended at the Manse, behind which was the original Crosshouse Waverley football pitch. Across the road the houses started again, the first house was occupied by the village constable. The next building, which later became a Hosiery, was Blackwood's Building.
Next again was Douglas Cottage No 38 Kilmarnock Road and was the first building in Crosshouse to be fitted with electric light. I remember the crowd which gathered to see the lights being switched on!
We are now at McChristie’s Buildings, which houses the Portland Arms.
Behind the public house were a number of dwelling houses containing no fewer than sixteen families. Round past the school was the Co-operative grocery shop and behind it, the stables and the offices. Then there were several cottages which ended opposite the Toll House which sat on the corner of Gatehead Road. On the Portland Arms side of the street, there used to be a well in each garden, no doubt to supply households with water for cooking, drinking and other requirements before the public water supply was installed.
I remember when some of the old houses behind the Portland Arms were being demolished. One of the lorries dislodged a large slab, revealing a deep well. No one in the village at that time had any knowledge of this well, which has now been filled in. This underground spring provided wells in the gardens on that side of Gatehead Road. A short time ago, I asked Jim Watt if the well was still in the front at Windyedge, and he said it was still there and that it is 40 feet deep.
In the field behind the Toll House, there stood for many years an old pump used to force water up from a well. Besides that, there was a quantity of iron fences that were said to be part of a small gauge railway serving some of the pits in the locality.
The bowling green sits on the corner of the road leading to Milton Mill. Allegedly, there was at one time a pit in the field at the bend in the road across from the bowling green, but it became waterlogged and had to be filled in.
It has been said the bed of the burn was altered to allow this pit to be opened, and the shape of the ground in this area would appear to give some truth to this story.
Going back towards the village, we come to two rows of houses sitting at right angles with the gardens in between. These were known as the High Row and the Laigh Row. The High Row housed the first Co-operative shop, where the petrol pumps are, there was a large house, Waterside Farm and several small houses, originally the farm steading, which contained a small shop kept by Geordie Hunter and his sister Jenny.
Where the garage is now was at one time a bakery and, before that, a shooting gallery. Billy Harper kept his bus there for a time. It must have been part of the farm buildings, perhaps a byre (cowshed). There are ventilation pipes high up in the wall.
The betting shop (now the butchers) used to be a fish and chip shop and was known as the Bakers Corner. The rest were houses except for the last one on the bridge that was a shop.
At Carmelbank Farm on the outskirts of the village, the property was at one time in the ownership of the Cunninghame family, who were related to the Earls of Glencairn.
The ancient name was Moat, from the mote hill or place of assembly in the field alongside the steading. It may at one time have been used as a judgment seat.
Craig House was at one time part of the Robertoun possession of the Mowats of Busbie Castle. In 1576, Adam Dunlop of Craig married Gringel Mowat. A grandson was accused of being a supporter of the Marquis of Montrose, a charge to which he pled guilty.
The estate was later owned by David Mylne, passed to Robert Morris, who bequeathed it to William Pollock, a surgeon in the army, who took the name of Morris.
Upriver from Craig House is what is known as Wat Brig. It was built around 1812 to carry one of the first railways in Scotland. This railway ran from Kilmarnock to Troon and was originally pulled by horses.
Going up to Knockentiber were several rows of houses known as Busbie Row; they took their name from Busbie Castle across the road. They were also known as the Bug Row, owing to insects being in the wood brought in to build the houses. It was said that the houses had originally been constructed in a different part of the country. Being no longer required, they were taken down and transported, including insects and rebuilt at Knockentiber.
Busbie Castle, which stood on the outskirts of Knockentiber was an L shaped building with both gun ports and arrow slits. Erected around 1350, it was occupied by the Mowat family, who seemed to disappear in the early 1600s. One of the family members, Matthew Mowat, was Minister of the Laigh Kirk, Kilmarnock, from 1640 until 1670.
The castle ruins were demolished just after the 2nd World War. The man responsible for this act did so on his own initiative, as I was informed recently. It was some considerable time afterwards that the Superior Lord Howard De Walden heard of the destruction.
Crosshouse railway station lay about half a mile above the castle, built on the site of a small wood.
At Greenhill Farm on the road from Knockentiber to Kilmarnock, there is a prehistoric mound which is said to have been an old-time judgment seat. Mr. McNaught in his "History of Kilmaurs Parish" tells of how a young son of the farmer had dug down into the mound to see what he could discover, but he came on high stones which he could never hope to move. No further attempt appears to have been made to excavate this place.
This farm is where the idea was first put into practice to put milk into bottles and was said to have the first house for keeping the milk cool. This house was made by constructing it on the side of the mound.
In a field below the house, there was a quarry, but this has now been filled in, the tusks of a prehistoric mammal were found, over 5 feet long, one of which was sent to Eglinton Castle.
We move onwards to Holm's Farm, adjacent to Thornton Row. The farm was occupied by Jake Scoular. This row sat back from and parallel to the road. Gardens occupied the space in between.
Further down the road was Thorntoun House, the home of Colonel and Mrs. Sturrock.
Thornton was also part of the Robertoun Barony. It was first owned by the Montgomeries, descended from Murthaw, whose name appears in the Ragman's Roll of 1296.
In the early 1600s, it became the property of the Mures, a branch of the Rowallan family.
It was home to the Cooperative gala day until, during an election, Mrs. Sturrock, the owner, was sitting in her horse-drawn carriage in front of the Old School (the polling station) when turfs were thrown at her. As was to be expected, that was the end of the trips to Thorntoun Estate. Near the top of the drive, there is a cemetery for dogs.
The first houses coming back into the village were those of Laurieland Row, similar to Thornton Row. To the side and rear of Laurieland Row, there was an old pit bing with an old railway track leading through the fields to another bing at Moffat's Cottages situated on another road which leads from Busbie Farm to Thorniehill, to join a road that runs from Knockentiber to Springside.
Past Laurieland, there was an open field until we entered the village again, there were one or two cottages, and then we reach J & A Fulton's garage
. Where the large shed sits on the comer at the bridge used to be Fred Wilson's Smiddy, a favourite meeting place for men of the village and a place where boys gathered to watch the smith at work. Alongside there were two or three small cottages, in one of which lived George Barnett.
Geordie would have been in his eighties when I was a small boy, and I understand he was the first man to run a horse-drawn bus between Crosshouse and Kilmarnock.
In another of the houses, Mary Gray kept a small shop, which unfortunately caught fire. Parker's Building sat at the bottom of the Busbie Brae, where the Fisher Restaurant is situated. It housed 8 families. A family lived upstairs in the Bridge Inn, and alongside facing the burn was a tenement housing 4 families.
I remember one time the burn overflowed into the houses at Corlins. Davie Thomson had been working a Sunday shift at Windyedge Pit, repairing the shaft. At this time, it was practice to place a plank of wood across the shaft and sit on it to carry out the repairs. Something went wrong, and Davie fell down the shaft. The Thomsons lived in one of the houses down at Waterside, and Davie's coffin was on the table in the living room. After a spell of very heavy rain, the burn overflowed and entered the houses to such an extent that the coffin had to be removed and put in the church for safekeeping.
During the early l930s, Rev Mr. White had a Bible Class which was by far the largest in the Presbytery, something Mr. White used to boast about.
At this time, Crosshouse Waverley F.C. played in the field alongside and behind the Manse Garden. A high, wire net fence was fixed to the top of the wall to prevent, as far as possible, balls going into the garden. However, occasionally, the ball did land in the garden, and eventually, Mr. White refused to hand back the ball, and recourse had to be made to the village policeman for its return. As most of the youth of the village were members of the Waverley, this led to a falling off in members of the Bible Class, and it became ordinary in membership numbers. It was not until much later that it was realized that owing to illness, Mr. White's judgment in certain matters had been impaired.
Lindsay Park was named in memory of William Lindsay, of Kilmaurs, who had been the parish Clerk. He had lost an arm but was proficient in a number of sports, including bowls, quoiting and rifle shooting. He left a piece of ground, entered through Hunter's garage at Waterside, to be utilized as a playing field, its location meant that it was liable to frequent flooding. Also, it would have been very dangerous for children owing to its close proximity to the burn.
Taking these facts into consideration, it was decided to sell the land and put the money towards the purchase of other land, and the present playing field was purchased.
The Big Bing, which was reached by a road at the end of Laurieland Row, was a favourite place for football before a public football pitch was formed and where football was played nearly every night in summer. If there were too many players, the others moved along the old line to Moffat's Cottages where football could be played at the Wee Bing.
In the early l 920's, the church football team had as its home pitch the first field on the right of the road running from Busbie Farm to Thorniehill.
The Crosshouse Junior Football team had as their home ground a field to the rear of the Big Bing, and their dressing room was an old cellar underneath Carmel Store (on the bridge next to the launderette). This clubhouse was entered by a door in the gable end of the building.
The village boys had a place adapted in the burn for swimming when the weather was suitable. This pool was created by building a dam across the burn at a point just below Busbie Farm, and there was an old tree stump which was used as a diving board. Another place used as a swimming pool was above the dam at Milton Mill, but the favourite was up the burn!
When winter came in, the craze was for group games such as Run Sheep Run, Leave-0 and others. These games were popular; there was no street lighting, and players had to be very alert to avoid being caught, which would have meant an end to their participation in the game.
Another game was I-Spy, looking in shop windows and giving the first letter of an article.
The quoiting ground was only a stone’s throw away from the swimming pool, on a flat piece of ground midway up the wood. This was a favourite spot, and it was a usual sound to hear the quoits ringing when one landed on another.
As boys, we were always helping when the threshing mill came to all farms. It was fun to carry the full chaff bags to the chaff house, empty them down through the trap door at Annandale and then jump down through the hole.
Another favourite was going out with the slype (flat topped trailer) to bring in the haystacks.
It was a hurl (free ride on the slype) each way. We helped to put the ropes round the stack to wind it on to the slype and then jumped on for the trip back to the farm. Other favourite playing areas were the pits. We used to frequent the pits, getting runs on the hutches (small, wheeled wagons) and at holiday times watching the pit ponies being brought up the shaft.
One of our winter ploys was to go into a close where two doors were opposite one another, tie a rope tightly between the two handles, bang on the doors and then run and hide. We always hid in a spot from which we could see what was happening. The usual outcome was that someone
had to leave one of the houses by a window and cut the rope. Woe betides any boy who happened to be caught in the vicinity.
Another favourite of boys was the making of dragons or kites.
The Cooperative butter came in small kegs, which were bound with wooden hoops and
were in great demand as a basis to make a kite. You cut your hoop to make a half circle,
put a cane down the centre and then joined the ends with string, covered the hole with strong brown paper and finished the lot
with a tail made by tying folded pieces of paper to ensure stability. A piece of wood with a
sufficiency of string to enable the kite to reach a fair height was the last requisite. Another seasonal ploy was the playing of bools or marbles, of which there was a number of variations.
It is hard to believe we used to play bools on the main street through the village!
Trips were always looked forward to. We had Sunday School trips which invariably went to Dundonald Castle, although I remember one trip which went to the first field on the right past Windyedge Farm. The trips to Dundonald were made in farm carts which had been specially cleaned for the occasion.
When Hallowe'en came round, all the children and some grown-ups dressed up and visited houses where they were expected to do their party piece in exchange for nuts and fruit. I don't remember money entering the transaction at any time.
Our family always had a big party; the bus garage at the bottom of the garden at No 28 Kilmarnock Road was used as a base. A washing byne (tub) was filled with water and apples, and we dooked for apples, trying to catch one in our teeth. Sometimes, we stood on a chair, held a fork in our teeth and dropped the fork in an attempt to stick it in an apple. Again, there was the treacle scone. A scone was liberally coated with treacle, tied so that it could swing at head
height. One had to attempt to bite a piece out of the scone using only one’s teeth, the hands were never used. This was a most hilarious part of the evening’s entertainment, as the face and hair received a liberal coating of treacle.
A craze in our teenage years around 1930 was cycling. The boys of the village used to get old bikes and strip them down, scrape all the old paint
off, and then rebuild and repaint them. Many happy runs were made, mainly to the shore at Irvine or Barassie and occasionally as far afield as Loch Doon. When the water in the burn was low, we played under the bridge and ran up and down the steps.
The contractors in the village were J & A Fulton (Coal merchants), Fulton & Semple (garage), H & J Carlin and James Clews. Jimmy Bell, who had a cart and horse. Will Stewart ran a horse-drawn bus between Crosshouse and Kilmarnock,
Bus owners who entered the A 1 Service were William Graham (who became the first president of the A1Service), H & J Carlin and H and H. We now have the hospital which has been built on top of a network of old mines. The old shaft for number 10 is just outside the perimeter fence. Numbers 1 and 11 are just half a mile up the road adjacent to Fardalehill pit. Windyedge Pit was across the road, about two fields away. As boys, we used to go to Windyedge
Pit for coal from Laurieland Row and Moffat's Cottage. We dug in the bings to retrieve the coal which had been buried with the waste. This coal was very welcome at home to keep the fires going.
Where the old pit workings are on the Kelk Place to Fardalehill Road, Bob Todd from Crosshouse had two sheds which housed a number of hens. Bob could be seen daily, walking up the road to feed his hens and to collect the eggs. One wonders how his hens would fare in such a deserted spot nowadays.
At the burn behind Busbie Castle, the remains of a lade (water channel) can still be seen. This lade crossed the fields in to the grounds of Busbie Farm, where the water it carried was used to drive the wheel which worked the grain mill.
We had traders who came round the village in the 1920s.
There was Jake Smillie from Thorneyhill, who came into the village daily with his horse-drawn milk cart. The milk was carried in two milk churns which sat at the rear of the cart. The churns were set so that the taps overhung the tail of the cart, making it easy to fill the pint measure and fill it into the housewives’ containers
There was Joe Murphy from Kilmaurs, who came round the village with his fruit and vegetable cart and could be seen in the streets until nearly midnight. Then there was Jimmy Stewart from Fenwick, who came round with his butcher’s van, and he was seen so late at night that he became known as "The Midnight Butcher". There were two cobblers repair shops in a room on the ground floor at Carmel View. The cobbler had trouble with his hearing and when we went to collect our boots after repair and asked if our boots were done, sometimes the reply was
'They were din afore ye brocht them doon' (They were worn out before you brought them down)
Dan Stewart was the Co-operative cobbler, and you could always tell when Dan did repairs as he invariably filled the soles with tackets (hobnails), making it impossible to tread quietly.
Sam Cameron had a grocer’s shop which stood where the Co-operative shop (now the Spar) is now at the Cross. A nickname he had was 'Split-the-pea', this was said to have been bestowed on him when he split a pea to obtain the exact weight!
Wee Hughie Carlin was disabled and totally dependent on a pair of crutches. Hughie was able to drive a bus, but I am still unable to understand how he did so when one considers his physical condition.
I remember one time Hughie got into an argument with one of the bus boys, the argument came to a sudden end when the boy said to Hughie
'Shut up, hauf man, hauftree', (half man, half tree)
The boy had to move smartly out of the range to avoid Hughie's crutches.
There is the story of the Crosshouse schoolmaster who was hauled before the Kirk session of Kilmaurs for being so drunk that he was found lying at the roadside. There is no record as to the outcome of this meeting.
The last of the Barclays of Busbie was most probably Charles Barclay. He appears to have been a writer or solicitor, for the Norrie deed of gift of half a tenement of land to the schoolmaster of Kilmaurs dated 1701 appears to have been written by Charles Barclay of Busbie.
At about the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Barclays sold Busbie. After passing through several hands, it was purchased by James Ritchie of Craigton in 1763. Before the end of the eighteenth century, Busbie had passed to Lord Glencairn and was later sold by him to Miss Scott.
In the Old Statistical account, it is stated that one of the lairds of Busbie was once so poor that he offered to renew a Wadset 1 (bond of marriage) for a new coat.
The castle was said to be at its full height around 1860. Part of it was taken down for safety and the rest strengthened. The twisted cable ornamentation, gunports and arrow slits all point to a fourteenth century origin (1350).
There appears to have been a chapel nearby on the banks of the Carmel, but it was allowed to fall into ruin. In1900 no one could remember where it stood.
Many times, I drank water from a well which was situated on the slope just outside the castle walls.
1
In old Scots, "Wadset" means "mortgage" or "pledge," essentially referring to the act of using property as collateral for a loan, where the lender temporarily takes possession of the property until the debt is repaid; it's a legal term primarily used in Scottish law.
Help required
I have just started my new book set in Crosshouse and Kilmarnock during WW2
Hopefully, some of you will have some memories you would be willing to share with me.
I am looking for memories of daily life, shops, entertainment, etc. Was there a pub in Crosshouse? Were signposts removed? Were there Anderson air raid shelters, communal shelters etc. What are your memories of rationing?
I want to be as factually correct as possible, however, the characters and stories will be fictional.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you in anticipation.
Jacqueline x
Unfortunately, I don’t have the details of who sent this to me. Please contact me, and I will add your name.
Hi Jacquline,
I was having a chat with my Mum, she can go back to some of the shops in the village, the chip shop was run by a Tam Walker, Lyons was an grocer across from the bridge, bakers and bake house (Coop)was where the chemist is now, and you got your bread wrapped in white tissue paper! It was a Mr Ross who ran the grocers where the Spar is today. She remembers there being an air raid shelter at Playing field Rd, which was in the school playground, they stayed in Playing field Crescent. mum says they used to play on the roofs of them as they were like hills, and they jumped from one to another! Rationing! They got a jar/ tin of jam once a month, 1/4lb butter per person weekly, 2oz margarine weekly, she can’t remember sugar as she says that they always ran out of I will add some more if this is any interest to you!
Billy Arnott.
I was speaking to Billy Arnott recently; we went to school together.
He told me a story about his Mum, Mary Kaohone, as she was then.
When she was about 14 or 15, she was waiting at the railway station in Kilmarnock and watched as a huge steam train puffed in.
She remembers there being quite a commotion, and masses of soldiers got off and on the train.
Then, she and some other locals were approached by an important looking officer.
He shook Mary’s hand. She remembered the remarkable softness of his hands. In stark contrast, her hands were rough from her hard work on the land. She had never known such soft hands before!
The important officer was none other than General Dwight D. Eisenhower!
During the war, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe
General Dwight D. Eisenhower's connection to Ayrshire, Scotland lies in his close association with Culzean Castle, where he was gifted a private apartment on the top floor as a gesture of thanks for his role in World War II, and is often referred to as his "Scottish White House" due to his multiple visits there, including one when he was President of The United States between 1953 and 1961.
Thanks for sharing this, Billy.
Ayrshire in general was counted as a safe area, also with coal mining counted as a reserved occupation, Miners joined up at start of war before UK Government had to act on manpower drop in the Mines, RAF Dundonald etc (where Monsanto was )was possibly the largest military base to Crosshouse with exception of Annanhill army camp for D-Day preparations. There were also some top secret activities done on the Ayrshire coast on route to Loch Striven ( SAS,SBS, 618 squadron, X- craft)
This story was told to East Ayrshire Library Staff by Jeanette McGinty (now Diamond) during a People’s War Workshop at the Crosshouse Library on 4th May 2005.
A Glimpse into a Joyous Day
Jeanette recalls VE Day vividly, despite being only six years old. The village of Crosshouse in Ayrshire was adorned with flags hanging from every window, a testament to the widespread jubilation. She distinctly remembers heading to the public park, where a massive bonfire had been lit, and everyone danced around it in joyous celebration. Her dad and uncles, home from the war, were part of this cheerful gathering.
The celebrations continued at her house later that evening, where a grand party took place. Neighbours gathered, singing and dancing, creating an atmosphere akin to that of a street party. One of her friends even remembered young women dancing in the streets in their pyjamas, swept up in the excitement of the moment.
Situated in the village was The Craig House, a significant residence where soldiers from across the country were stationed. These soldiers were warmly welcomed into the village to join in the festivities. Crosshouse also played host to evacuees from Glasgow and Wales, who found refuge there for a significant part of the war.
Jeanette's memories extend beyond VE Day. She recalls soldiers marching to the railway station at Gatehead, singing songs as they went. She also remembers being at Kilmarnock station, waving to soldiers as they departed for war. Her father was away for six long years, and his infrequent visits meant that she scarcely recognized him, having been very young when he left.
One of the more harrowing memories from her childhood was witnessing the bombing of Clydebank from Crosshouse, despite the considerable distance. The sky lit up with the explosions, a sight that left a lasting impression on her young mind.
Jeanette's uncle, a sailor, brought back bananas — a rare treat and the first she had ever seen. This same uncle earned a DSM medal in the Navy for his bravery in rescuing people, likely from a sinking ship. Her mother contributed to the war effort as well, working as a riveter at the Barassie Works, where she made parts for aeroplanes. The blackout conditions necessitated the use of torches to navigate their way to work.
Jeanette's recollections paint a vivid picture of VE Day and the wartime experiences of Crosshouse, capturing both the joy of victory and the enduring hardships of war.
My War memories by Martha Law.
The war started when I was six. It didn’t mean much to me and my friends until my two uncles were called up. Everyone was crying at the station when we went to see them off on the train. When they came home on leave after about six weeks training, we were so proud of them in their uniforms. After the first leave was over, they were posted overseas, and we didn’t get any news for a long time. One uncle was in France, and we didn’t know where the other one was for quite some time. We then received news that our other uncle was in Egypt, a prisoner of war for four years!
My grannie started doing work for the Red Cross and she got all the family rolled into making scarves, socks and blankets. They then started making things to sell. The children would all go down to the beach and gather shells. My grannie bought special cord, and my Uncle John would decorate the shells and fix them onto the cord to make bracelets, necklaces and brooches.
Just after the war started the boys in our street were all called up to go into the Services. We lived in a circle of houses which had a big, round grassed area in the middle where we all played. One by one they were all called away, some to the Army, others to the Navy or Airforce. Five in our circle never came home.
Everyone started doing things to help the war effort, so our circle decided to have a concert. Our mothers gave us old curtains, hats and shoes to dress up and everyone came along and paid their penny and a penny for the raffle. We danced, sang and recited poetry and then raffled the things our mothers had given us. The concert was enjoyed by all and the Red Cross got 13s 6d! There was no holding us back after that! The circle kids had a concert every other week from then on.
When food got scarce, we were issued with ration books.
Babies got green, schoolchildren got blue, and adults got beige coloured books. If you had a green book, you could get bananas, oranges and orange juice.
The books had coupons in them, and these showed what you were entitled to. When you went to the Co-op Grocery and handed over the books, they would cut out the coupons and give you your rations. You could then go to the butchers and wait in the queue for meat. We often got fed up waiting and go and play hide & seek and lose our place in the queue! Then when we got served there would be no steak or links left, and we got a row when we got home!!
We were luckier than some families. I had an aunt in Canada and my mother’s friend lived in America. They would send parcels, great big boxes with tins of sweets, sugar, jam, nylons and clothes. My mother used to share them out with the neighbours. The sweets came in long strips, and I used to take them out and break them off for my pals. I remember the first time we got cranberry sauce. My mother thought it was a new kind of jam or jelly, so we all had a “peece & jeely” that night!
We had our own Home guard in the village. My brother was in it as he had tuberculosis and couldn’t go into service. We also had wardens who would go round the village at night to check that all the windows were blacked out. This meant that all houses had to have black blinds or very thick curtains so that no light would shine through.
All downstairs houses had to have a shelter, ours was under the stairs and my mother had blankets and seats in it. When the sirens went to tell us there was a raid, the people upstairs would come down and go into the shelter with us. Our upstairs neighbours were deaf and dumb and when the sirens went, the wee man, Sammy, was first down the stairs. My father always had the door open for him and he wouldn’t come out for hours.
When there was no sugar left, we had to use saccharin, which was also scarce. There was one family however, who could get them on the black market (whatever that was!), so everybody went to their door and got a packet for 1/-.
One day the head teacher came into our class and told us that because there had been a lot of bombing in Glasgow, children from there were being brought to our school. They were hoping that our parents would take in some of these children to live in our homes. I was first to put my hand up and said, “I’ll take two”!
When I got home and told my mother she nearly took a fit!! However, she came along the next week and took two boys’ home. They stayed for two years and were just part of the family.
Archie Johnstone told these stories to East Ayrshire staff at their tea party on the 11th of June 2004.
I was eight years old when war broke out and it didn’t mean much to me. I remember that sweets weren’t around, and they were something I missed. Sweets were a treat. I remember food parcels being sent from Australia where I had an aunt and three cousins, who I have just got back in touch with via the Internet.
The Grand Hall in Kilmarnock was used to incarcerate Italian Prisoners of War. My parents befriended them and, when they had to get rid of their dog, they gave it to me and my sister. I can remember one of the Italians was called Mario Motto, who had twin sons, and he was a butcher from Palermo. I can’t remember the names of any of the others. The Italians from Kilmarnock were interred at Mauchline. I especially remember the Incentti (?) family from Valley Restaurant, 6 Green Street, as I had to go and collect pig trotters for their restaurant.
The three air raid centres, next to the water’s edge, on Green Street were underground and I wonder now if they were filled in when they redeveloped the area (It is now part of the one-way-system in Kilmarnock – does anyone know?).
My main memory of the War was going to the cinema to see the Movie Tone News and the white cockerel in the middle of the screen. We went to the Plaza Cinema that was built in Mill Lane in 1939.
I have a vague memory of a bomb dropping on, I think, the Kilmarnock Cemetery (the Strawberry bank area).
To celebrate V-J Day I remember a big party in the big car park in Waterloo Street. The Police chased someone for setting a flare off.
This story was told to East Ayrshire staff during their Tea Party of 11th June 2004 by Mary Niven who is nearly 97 (maiden name McGivern) who is telling her husband Jack’s story.
Jack Niven was an engineer and before that he was a footballer at Bonnyton Square. He played for Queen of the South and Chester and teams in Wales and Ireland. He gave it up at 30 when he and Mary married and went back to the Railway works for his engineering, and, because he had a reserved occupation he didn’t go to war.
Mary had 4 children altogether and had to look after her mother, no home helps in those days. Mary calls the war her “Blank Years” as it seemed to be all work. They had to live with her mother for most of the war as they couldn’t get a house, but eventually got a house in Armour Street, Kilmarnock. Her children went to Bentinck School in Kilmarnock.
Rationing was a nightmare, but folk managed somehow. Mary even got a holiday in Saltcoats, going by train. She went to the quietest part of the shore to get some peace and quiet with the children.
Unknown author, Kilmarnock.
There was surprise and shock in Kilmarnock in the early hours of Tuesday, May 6, 1941, when it was realised that the Luftwaffe was dropping bombs on the town. People of Kilmarnock knew exactly what to do and where to go. They had rehearsed the same procedure on several other occasions when the Luftwaffe had flown over Kilmarnock., but they had never dropped bombs on the town before. In truth, Kilmarnock folk felt quite safe. Kilmarnock was not a prime target.
Any German raid in the west of Scotland was likely to be on more important targets such as the shipyards of Clydebank and the explosive works at Ardeer. Apart from that, the west of Scotland was a long way for Luftwaffe crews to fly and they had to spend a lot of time in British airspace. It is now known that a single aircraft dropped 14 bombs. Their weight and the precise location that they landed have all been logged and charted on documents held in the National Archives of Scotland. Only one of the bombs caused casualties. That was the one that destroyed a block of flats in Culzean Crescent at the time there were war time restrictions on reporting such things, and while the Kilmarnock Standard could report that four people had been killed “as a result of enemy action” the paper could not give the street name and could not even say that bombs had fallen on Kilmarnock.
When the raid started, there was work to be done.
It was the responsibility of the ARP to find out the extent of the damage caused by the bombs and to try to allocate resources to where they were needed most. First reports were confused, but it soon became clear that urgent help was required in Culzean Crescent. A block of flats had been hit. People were injured. Some were possibly trapped. The rescue squad arrived quickly. Neighbours were already on the scene. Half of the block of four flats was gone; turned in a few moments from two homes into one pile of rubble.
One of the rescue workers eyed the buildings in the street and was astonished to see that several windows in the part of the block that had been hit remained intact and not a single pane of glass was broken in the buildings on either side of the one that been hit. On the other side of the street, however several windows were shattered. But the rescue workers had no time to ponder on such odd matters. From the part of the building that was left standing, rescue workers helped lead two women and two young children to the safety of the street. The planes had gone, and all clear had sounded. The two ladies were a Mrs Robertson and a Mrs Cree. The children were Jim Robertson and Shona Cree. Moments later, Mr Robertson was also accounted for. He had been at the back door of the house when the bomb fell, and he had thrown himself full length close to the gable of the building. It astonished the rescue party that none of the five of them had the slightest scratch or injury.
But it was quickly established that four other people from the two demolished flats were still not accounted for. They were a Mrs McGeachie, an elderly woman, her middle-aged daughter, Alice, John Bissett and his housekeeper, Dorothy Armour. To add to the complications of the rescue, neighbours told the ARP men that Mr Bissett was a deaf mute. If he had survived the blast, he would be unable to shout for help and he would not hear the rescuers calling to him.
Rescue workers tore at the pile of rubble. Soon, they found a body, then another. The other two bodies were found several hours later when demolition squads were removing the debris. Before the day was out, the survivors had all been rehoused by the town, and work had started on clearing the site.
Nancy Fleming
Mum told us that village signposts were removed, she was always amazed when the bus conductress called out the names of the stops correctly! She remembers air raid drills at school and taking her gas mask to school with her.
Pete Heywood
I can’t help you directly. I have some audio recordings of Andrew Macindoo talking about his time in the army. He served in Burma.
http://www.secretscotland.org.uk Secrets, Annanhill Camp
JHW
Dad remembers catching eels to take to the Italian prisoners of war in Knockentiber. He would go walking with his Aunt Agnes to watch the Spitfires at RAF Dundonald. Agnes worked in the Ardeer explosives factory, a major producer of explosives during World War Two.
Dad also remembers rationing. His mother discovered an empty can of condensed milk she had been saving for Christmas. Dad's brother had bored a hole in the base and taken all the contents and placed the empty can back in its place in the pantry. Dad got the blame!
My grandfather was unable to join the armed forces, but worked as a long-distance lorry driver, often visiting London during the Blitz. He was also a bus driver and remembers finding a dead body in the middle of the road when he was driving from Crosshouse to Springside. It was very dark, and the headlights on the bus were covered or painted over to comply with blackout regulations, so he was lucky that he spotted it.
An incendiary bomb landed on my grandfathers' newly dug over vegetable patch in the back garden of 15 Annandale Crescent. Jimmy Wilson helped him contain it under a metal dust bin. They were both in their nightshirts at the time.
All his brothers joined up. Billy served with the Chindits, which saw action in Burma
Mum, although not originally from Crosshouse, remembered receiving dresses and sweets from a neighbour’s daughter who was working as a nanny in New York for the Colgate family
She was the envy of all her friends at parties when she was wearing her pretty American dresses. She always shared her sweets!
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