History is important, never forget.

Approximately 5 miles from where I live is a very large-scale industrial area. Its ‘foot-print’ is big and it supplies work for many people in the local and not so local area.

I drive past certain bits of it on the way to and from various places and never really give it a second thought. However, something that catches the eye is, for want of a better description, a red brick wall. On this wall, there is a plaque with a number of flags and a number of names etched upon it.

If you take the time to look at it what you see might come as a bit of a surprise, because this fairly nondescript ‘wall’ commemorates the lives and actions of the Royal Air Force pilots of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth (Anzacs) and those of Poland, The Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) and Hungary.

This large industrial area has a bit of history about it that I am about to share with you, and I hope you find it interesting and maybe gives you the incentive to have a bit of a look around where you live.

Grangemouth Central Scotland Airport (yes really), was opened in July 1939. The idea was to use this airfield for Volunteer Reserve Training Centre and as a main airport for central Scotland. To the west there was Abbotsinch Airport (now Glasgow International) and to the east Turnhouse (now Edinburgh International).

North Eastern Airways started a passenger service between London, Newcastle, Grangemouth, Aberdeen and Orkney using Dragon Rapides, but when war was declared in September 1939, the Air Ministry (now the Ministry of Defence) commandeered it and all civil flights stopped.

The military quickly changed the site to camouflage colours (greens & browns), from the original white in an attempt to hinder Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights. It was also at this time that the Grangemouth Airport came under the control of No. 13 Command, and Grangemouth was designated one of the Fighter Stations to protect Central Scotland from the Luftwaffe. This role would continue until late autumn of 1940, when the danger of attack was deemed remote, and R.A.F. Grangemouth was removed from Fighter Command.

The largest contingent of aircraft stationed at the site were Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes, both of which would go on to play a major role in what would become the Battle of Britain. The Squadron based there was No. 58 Operational Unit and its role was to teach fighter pilots to fly Spitfires. Many pilots from all over the world trained at Grangemouth and it became the primary base for Polish pilots before joining the R.A.F. Free Polish Spitfire Squadrons.

Many of these pilots would return to Grangemouth as instructors after their operational tours of duty, and Grangemouth would continue to train pilots up until 1944 at which point a Gliding School was introduced to train Air Corps Cadets.

Sadly, the Grangemouth Central Scotland Airport closed in 1955 when Grangemouth Council, who used it for industrial development, acquired the site.

It seems mind boggling to think that approximately 60 years ago, Luftwaffe aircraft where flying over Grangemouth on bombing missions.

I have no idea what it would have been like when the air raid sirens sounded and the low murmur of the inward bound bombers could be heard overhead, and we must admire what our grand parents and great grand parents had to put up with.

Go on, get yourself out and about and see what is hidden around you and maybe let others know. History is important, never forget.