Greenock Revisited

I ordered this book as a second copy I wanted to give it to a friend as a small giftthe original copy that I have is an a 4 format with very clear photographs and printthis copy is very poor quality smudgy photos and poor print Anyway I suppose I got what I paid for.

The author is to be congratulated on bringing together: an overall account, then and now pictures, first hand accounts including one from a German airman, primary source written material including maps. Anyone with an Inverclyde connection will find thisi book fascinating while it will also appeal to any reader interested in Scotland during WWII.

Just what I wanted for a relative who no longer lives in Greenock. Great book.

I am grateful for two reasons. Firstly to Mr. Gemmill for the detailed knowledge incorporated in his account of the Clydeside Raids and secondly for the fact that my mother and I left Greenock about a week before the raids. Most older people have a detailed knowledge of the raids on London and Coventry but not so many people know about the terrible devastation caused to Greenock. The whole area where my mother and I shared a flat with a Scottish family was flattened. When I returned to Greenock at the end of the war I was puzzled by lines on the hillside at the back of the town--they were where streets of houses used to be ! Reading Mr. Gemmill`s account brought it home to me how lucky I am to be alive today.

Even though I went to school in Greenock and lived not so far away, I was not aware of the devastation wreaked on the town by these raids. I just recall my mother talking about people being evacuated from Greenock to safer areas outside (Kilmacolm) but even those were a bit iffy. I really enjoyed seeing the photos from the war years compared to the places and streets I recall from my schooldays many years ago now. Excellent read. Recommended for anyone in the Greenock area of a certain age (50+).Thanks to Stewart for authoring the book.

As a local resident I have viewed many of the illustrations over the years but never before have they been presented in matched pairs which I found to be very interesting. I was impressed by the level of accompanying information much of which was new to me. This is a splendid publication which is long overdue and I thank Stewart (same name - no connection) for sharing his knowledge with us.

I purchased this account of the Greenock Blitz simply because my wife Janet McLaughlin was a survivor of this attack and often referred to the horrors of those nights and the scenes she had witnessed.In her opinion the book was a tribute to those who had died and suffered the loss of family members.If you have ever lived or worked in Greenock this book is well worth purchasing.

This is a fascinating addition to the stories told to me by my Mum about growing up in Greenock during the war years and particularly during the blitz. The detail and the photographs included bring that terrible time and its aftermath very much to life.If you have a connection with Greenock and Clydeside or an interest in WW11 and its affect on ordinary people and their communities, I would recommend this book to you.