Brian Mackie
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brianmackie.bsky.social
Brian Mackie
@brianmackie.bsky.social
660 followers 260 following 240 posts
WW2 Clyde history. HMCS Niobe / Royal Canadian Navy. Greenock Morton / In the Community. Slava Ukraini!
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Brian Mackie @brianmackie.bsky.social · Dec 8
Gourock and the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Two pictures, taken 80 years apart. Viewpoint: Lyle Hill, Greenock. During WW2, 150+ ships were visible on the Clyde, almost every day. #navalhistory #maritimehistory #coastalhistory
From Lyle Hill looking north over the Firth of Clyde, in 1945. A convoy of ships waits to leave, just off the town of Gourock, which appears to stick out into the waters of the Clyde. Clouds, and the hills of Argyle and Bute, loom beyond. Picture is black and white. From Lyle Hill looking north over the Firth of Clyde, in 2024. No ships are visible. The landscape is the same as the 1945 picture. The town of Gourock appears to stick out into the waters of the Clyde. Clouds, and the hills of Argyle and Bute, loom beyond. Picture is in colour.
brianmackie.bsky.social
A narrow WW2 North Atlantic port entrance, protected by torpedo nets AND icebergs! We could only be in St John’s, Newfoundland.

Here is a thread of intertwined St John’s coastal and naval history, with views of both the past and the present.

#coastalhistory #navalhistory 🧵1/13
A view looking down from the coastal west side, out to sea, of the narrows that make up the entrance to the harbour of St John's, Newfoundland. The narrows are 200 feet wide and about 800 feet in length. Visible just beyond the entrance to the narrows are two icebergs. Within the narrows, several rows of torpedo nets are visible through surface floats. Military garrison buildings are mixed with local houses along the steep, rocky cliffs that surround the narrows. Pic from The Rooms, Newfoundland Archives.
November 9, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
davelifelines.bsky.social
Essential reading for genealogists, whether you have Scottish ancestry or not…

scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2025/09/ance...
Ancestry and the NRS - when the corporate genealogy world turns ugly
From Scotland, a daily news blog about genealogy, family history and personal heritage.
scottishgenes.blogspot.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
shipwreckspod.bsky.social
3 Sept is Merchant Navy Day in the UK, to honor all the brave men and women who serve in the merchant Navy, both past and present. The Red Ensign is flown to recognize their sacrifices, both past and present.

#merchantnavy #redensign #UK
September 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
inverclydehistory.bsky.social
#OTD #LocalHistory #Inverclyde #Greenock
September 2, 2025 at 10:41 AM
brianmackie.bsky.social
The LAST Corvette: HMCS Sackville, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

269 Flower-class corvettes served as convoy escorts during WW2, in 11 Allied Navies.

Here is a tour of the one, breathtaking, survivor. Restored to 1944 sailing condition, as Canada’s Naval Memorial.

#navalhistory #maritimehistory
🧵1/20
HMCS Sackville, a Flower-class corvette, moored on the Halifax waterfront in July 2025. The ship was the smallest convoy escort, only 205 feet in length and 950 tons in weight. It was designed as an anti-submarine vessel. The picture is taken from a mooring opposite the bow of the of the ship. The ship's pennant number, K181, is visible in black numbers, painted towards the bow on the side of the ship. The ship is painted in camouflage grey and sky blue. A small gun is visible towards the bow, and a single funnel with red-painted stripes around it is visible towards the rear. A crow's nest rises above all in the centre of the ship.
August 31, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
inverclydehistory.bsky.social
#OTD #LocalHistory #Inverclyde #Greenock
July 14, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
britwarmemorial.bsky.social
War memorial. Greenock Cemetery, Greenock, Inverclyde. Commemorating the citizens of Greenock who died as a result of the air raids 1940 to 1941. #LestWeForget
War memorial commemorating the citizens of Greenock who died as a result of the air raids 1940 to 1941. Inscription.
July 14, 2025 at 5:04 AM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Captain John Cameron's report on the loss of the original PS Waverley at Dunkirk, May 29, 1940.

Of course the "new" PS Waverley sails to this day, on the Clyde and around the British Isles, and is the world's last sea-going paddle steamer. waverleyexcursions.co.uk

#navalhistory #maritimehistory
hush-ndb.bsky.social hush @hush-ndb.bsky.social · May 29
#NavalHistory

I unfortunately do not have the ability to hear English, so I don't know what this vidéo is about.
However, I would like to introduce it in honour of one of the ships that served at Dunkirk.

paddlesteamers.org/ps-waverley-...
May 29, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
inverclydehistory.bsky.social
Just spent the afternoon showing the Captain, Officers and crew from Fregate Normandie around Greenock. We visited Drums Farm, original Free French HQ,: Bagatelle, where DeGaulle met with Western Approaches Command: and of course the Lyle Hill and Cross of Lorraine where a short service was held
May 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
brianmackie.bsky.social
This Dutch delft plaque is on display at St Bartholomew’s in Gourock, Scotland. It memorializes the hospitality bestowed on “sailors, soldiers and airmen” from 1940-47.

But what is the wartime history of the Dutch military on the Clyde?

#maritimehistory #navalhistory #coastalhistory

🧵1/9
A decorated plaque made from blue and white Dutch delft tile, encased in a gilded frame. The words say: To The Glory of God and in grateful remembrance of generous hospitality bestowed on the Netherlands Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen during their stay in the United Kingdom Annis Domini 1940-47, this tablet was presented by the Protestant churches of the Netherlands. "I was a stranger and ye took me in"
May 18, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
amaybee.bsky.social
My dad took the first troop ship from 🇨🇦 to Britain early Oct 1939, I believe. He was in the 1st Canadian Div. He signed up the day after we declared war, no question he would fight fascism.
charlieangus104.bsky.social Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · Apr 16
As British soldiers were being evacuated from Dunkirk, the 1st Canadian Division was already in the UK as the only fully armed force to defend the shores.
This photo of Canadians in the Battle of Britain is displayed across from our parliament.
We fought fascism from day 1.
Don't fuck with us.
April 17, 2025 at 12:33 AM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Everyone who is into WW2 history, post your favourite comic strip from wartime!

Here is a David Low classic, and what any dictator can expect if they try to enter Scotland...
April 15, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
sarahloumiller.bsky.social
Filmed this BBC series in Liverpool last year, and it’s now out on BBC iplayer if you’re looking for some telly to watch! It was wonderful to film at the brilliant Western Approaches museum, and to demonstrate the work of the Western Approaches Tactical Unit!
March 22, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
curatorian.bsky.social
Very struck to read this. The Few become The None, as the last of a generation passes.

Rest in peace, John Hemingway, and thank you.
The last surviving Battle of Britain Pilot, John 'Paddy' Hemingway DFC, passes away
John "Paddy" Hemingway, the last surviving pilot of the iconic Battle of Britain, passed away peacefully on 17 March 2025 at the age of 105. Paddy Hemingway, one of a number known as ‘...
raf.mod.uk
March 17, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
thisismyglasgow.bsky.social
Between the 13th and 15th of March 1941, the German airforce dropped over 250 tonnes of bombs on Clydeside, killing around 1,200 people (half in Clydebank and half in Glasgow).

Cont./

#glasgow #eastwoodnewcemetery #gravestones #cemetery #clydebankblitz #graveyard #wwii #wwiihistory
March 14, 2025 at 7:18 PM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Trans-Atlantic cooperation – something we have relied on for decades.

The RMS Queen Mary was a liner and troopship that sailed from 1936-67. Preserved still, the ship is uniquely and historically symbolic of ties across the Atlantic ocean.

#maritimehistory #navalhistory #coastalhistory

🧵1/29
The RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Queen Mary, moored permanently in sheltered water at Long Beach, California. The ship is 100 metres long, the hull painted black, upper decks white, and 3 funnels red with black tops. A crows-nest mast is visible at the bow in front of an elevated bridge. The ship is 12 decks high and towers above its surroundings. Multiple ventilation shafts are visible.
March 9, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
ioponomarenko.bsky.social
My piece for TIME:

"Ukraine has options. Europe is still in the game.

Ideas on how to mitigate the damage from Trump’s siding with Putin are boiling. As long as we, the people, want to keep our country we love, there is always a way forward."
time.com/7265176/trum...
Never, Never Underestimate Ukraine
My country is not a Banana Republic that will simply bend to President Trump's wishes, writes Illia Ponomarenko.
time.com
March 6, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
saintjavelin.bsky.social
Trump's admin is making the same mistake as Putin did in 2022: Underestimating Ukrainians.

Today we are donating another $5,000 USD to support Ukrainians.

If you're feeling the same way, channel it into action - donate to organizations in Ukraine to make a real impact.

Stand with Ukraine.
March 1, 2025 at 2:34 PM
brianmackie.bsky.social
An RN rating carries a young girl along a cluttered dock in Greenock, Scotland, March 1, 1945. This famous image, and the story behind it, epitomise naval purpose: protect the high seas; safeguard civilians.

This is the story of the Sørøya Island rescue.

#maritimehistory #navalhistory #WW2

🧵1/29
A Royal Navy sailor, wearing a sailor's cap and boots, walks along a muddy dock in Greenock, Scotland, past oil drums, moored ships and various mechanical tractors. He is carrying a young girl, age about 10, who is wrapped in a blanket. The girl is smiling. The sailor has the look of a man happy to complete an enormously worthwhile task.
February 9, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
scottishhistory.org
Canadian sergeant aircrew trained under the Empire Air Training Scheme photographed upon their arrival at Gourock in February 1941. They would go on to serve with the Royal Air Force in the air war over Europe. The training scheme helped ensure a steady supply of trained volunteers for the RAF.
February 4, 2025 at 10:47 AM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Stories of those that passed through the Clyde during WW2:

Here are some of the men of the British Honduras (now Belize) Forestry Unit, arriving in Greenock, Scotland in November 1942, after a cold and hazardous 14-day voyage via New Orleans and New York. #maritimehistory #blackhistory #WW2

1/...
A group of 50-60 men pictured, standing and kneeling on the quayside in Greenock, Scotland in November 1942. All are black and are from British Honduras (now Belize), having travelled to do wartime forestry work. The men are wrapped up in what seem to be somewhat unfamiliar layers of warm clothes, but most are smiling broadly and some are giving the thumbs up. Almost all are wearing hats, and one man kneeling and wearing a trilby is ready to play the trumpet that he has brought with him.
January 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Enjoying a two-day research visit to the Inverclyde Archive hosted at the Watt Institution, Greenock, Scotland. The buildings were first opened in 1827. They don't make Archives like this any more! #navalhistory #maritimehistory #coastalhistory
A two-storey building built in uneven stone blocks with multiple annexes and decorations, giving the impression of a church without a spire. A sign outside explains that it is the Watt Institution. The building is located in Greenock, Scotland and was opened in 1827.
January 4, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
clatchardcraig.bsky.social
The Broons story for the Hogmanay of 1944 is a masterpiece of Scots art which surpasses anything by Raeburn, Naysmith or the Colourists. This is a hill that I will die upon.
It is Hogmanay in 1944. Granpaw receives a telegram in the close of 10 Glebe Street. Chaos ensues with the Broons quarrelling about who their first foot should be. The rival first foots form a queue at the Broons' door. Then, Granpaw appears with Hen and Joe, who have been given leave from the army. He intercepted a telegram, mind? A final, sublimely couthy, ensemble frame shows the family and their friends celebrating. *moist eyes*
December 30, 2024 at 9:42 PM
brianmackie.bsky.social
Black US nurses arriving in Greenock, Scotland - August 15, 1944. They preceded the arrival of the 6888th Postal battalion in Scotland (on the liner SS Ile de France) by six months, having successfully challenged the the US racial quota system. #navalhistory #militaryhistory #blackhistory #WW2
A group of about 25 black female nurses, wearing heavy coats, US army helmets and red cross armbands, await being able to go ashore, after being ferried from their troopship moored on the Clyde to Greenock, a mile into shore. A ferryman in the foreground holds a rope, a lifeboat hangs above them in the background.
December 29, 2024 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Brian Mackie
brianmackie.bsky.social
US troops newly arrived in Scotland at Gourock on the Firth of Clyde, July 31, 1943, being greeted by US senators Mead (NY) and Cabot Lodge (Mass). Roughly three million US soldiers passed through Gourock during WW2, on their way to Europe and North Africa. #navalhistory #militaryhistory #ww2
US Senator Mead (New York), wearing a business suit, leans over with his hands on his knees to talk to newly-arrived Black US soldiers sitting on their kitbags on the Gourock, Scotland dockside. The soldiers are smiling. Soldiers with large kitbags on their shoulders are filing past in the background as the conversation takes place. Soldiers in the foreground are leaning on their rifles. US Senator Cabot Lodge (Mass) talks to newly-arrived US troops, standing in front of the unmistakable sequential triangular roofs of the Gourock train station building. Scotland, July 1943. The senator is wearing a military uniform with a triangular "US" patch on the arm. The soldiers have their full kit with them. A sergeant and a corporal smile as they talk to the senator.
December 28, 2024 at 12:10 PM