Book Description

The first book to provide a comprehensive account of the anti-invasion defenses built in Scotland during World War II. Between May 1940 and the summer of 1941, the British people expected a German invasion that, had it succeeded, would have enslaved them into the Nazis’ racist war. This period saw an unparalleled effort to prepare the defense of the UK against invasion. Scotland’s nationally important heavy industries, vital Royal Navy bases, and one of the UK’s key ports, were very vulnerable to the sort of airborne attack that had devastated the defenses of Belgium. Everyone was certain that a Fifth Column of Nazi sympathizers and agents was working actively to spread rumors and despair, and to aid the invasion forces, and in reality, the country was far from united. Although the 1939-45 War is the most written-about war in history there is no account of the heroic efforts made in those months to prepare Scotland for the inevitable invasion, and how the defenses were intended to be used. This book tells that story, against the wider history of the period and its people, and describes what was built, and what now survives. “The book details transportation infrastructure and the construction of military bases and various structures and barriers, concentrating on defense efforts on coastal beaches and harbors. The study explores shows how defense plans changed in response to shifts in defense policy and the misconceptions of those planning the defenses, including misunderstanding of German military strategies. B&W historical and contemporary photos and maps are included.” —ProtoView