In the Western Desert, British troops continued their retreat after Rommel’s Afrika Korps’ breakthrough at Gazala last week. Once again Tobruk was left isolated, but this time it was in no position to withstand a siege: on 21 June 35,000 British troops surrendered there. The British army continued their retreat into Egypt. Also this week, Winston Churchill went to America for talks with President Roosevelt; and on 18 June the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb officially started at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
The John O’Groat Journal reported that crops in Dunbeath were coming on well, but peat-cutting was hampered by the scarcity of labour. It mentions the death of a horse owned by Mr William Mackenzie of Ramscraigs, and this highlights the scale of many small crofts across the county: “Mr Mackenzie was practically the only crofter in the district who undertakes the laying down of crops for those crofters who have no horses of their own. His loss will be felt by more than himself, as good horses are very scarce at the present time.”
Killimster School near Wick had a distinguished visitor on 19 June: “Mr McHardy visited the school along with an R.A.F. officer who desired to discover the system of education in Caithness. There is still one case of C.P. [Chicken Pox]”
An entry from Brabster School in Canisbay Log Book shows how affairs at home could impact on a child’s education: “Irene Sinclair has been absent since Monday to nurse her Grandmother.”
New industries were being proposed for Canisbay, according to the John O’Groat Journal. “In the past the parish of Canisbay has had little to export except the usual farm produce, fish, lobsters and crabs. There is a distinct possibility, however, that in the near future some new industries will be added. The huge deposits of shell-sand and shells at John O’Groats and Huna, which for long have been known to contain a high percentage of lime is likely to be utilised on a commercial basis very soon.”
Finally this week, ‘Norseman’ in the John O’Groat Journal commented on the vandalism of St Peter’s Church mentioned last week: “I so not suppose that Thurso has got more vandals than other towns of like size, but they do seem to be rather more talked about. Old St peter’s Church appears to draw them like a magnet, and this practice of pulling stones out of the walls is rather alarming… if this sort of thing is permitted to go on indefinitely, the whole town of Thurso may be pulled to pieces, stone by stone and brick by brick!”
