Fairlie's Secret War

Fairlie's Secret War—How One Village Helped Defeat German U-Boats

How a small Ayrshire village helped defeat the U-boat threat

About the Ebook

During the Second World War the Royal Navy's vitally important Anti-submarine Experimental Establishment was secretly moved from Portland in Dorset to the Ayrshire village of Fairlie, to escape German bombing on the south coast. For the next six years it occupied the boatyard of yacht builder William Fife on the Firth of Clyde. During this time, highly confidential world-leading research on the acoustic detection of submarines by asdic – now known as sonar – was carried out by hundreds of scientists, officers and local men and women based at Fairlie. As experiments took place into new ways of sinking German U-boats, the peace of the quiet village was shattered. Winston Churchill described the work done at Fairlie as critical to winning the Battle of the Atlantic and ultimately the war. The research remained relevant to anti-submarine warfare long after the war, and is still relevant today.

Fairlie's role in the war was not disclosed until relatively recently. Highly illustrated throughout and making use of previously unpublished material, this book tells the full story of the establishment at Fairlie for the first time. It describes the impact it had on local people, and their relationship with the naval officers and scientists who came to work there.

Winner of the John Strawhorn Memorial Quaich, awarded by the Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies 'to an individual or group who is judged to have made an outstanding contribution to the local history of Ayrshire'.

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Discover how a small village contributed to defeating U-boats
• Explore wartime innovation and community effort on the Ayrshire coast
• Engage with a little-known chapter of Second World War history
• Read another celebrated title from Origin - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd

Reviews

'a book that for the first time tells the full story of Fairlie's war - Sunday Post'

About the Author

Born in Giffnock, John Riddell became interested in the Clyde, shipping and engineering from a young age. He worked as a civil engineer before becoming a senior lecturer and reader in water engineering at the University of Strathclyde. He has lived in Fairlie since 1972, and in retirement has continued to pursue his interest in the Clyde, ships and local history.

Publication Details

Publisher: Origin (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)

Publication Date: 04 August 2022

Print Length: 256 pages (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9781788855693

Format: Ebook

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