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This one is inspired by an episode of Heartbeat (set in the 60s) which I was watching last night where a group of kids came across a pile of wartime ammunition.

Does anybody remember the odd discovery of items of ordnance about Inverness in the old days? I seem to remember that a few kids used to have the odd bullet at home and these would occasionally emerge in the waste land between St Valery Avenue and the canal.

During the war Kingsmills Park was occupied by a number of military units, finally, if my memory serves me correctly, by Polish pioneers, who left behind a number of items of live ammunition. One one occasion before the park reverted to football a group of boys were playing about there, something exploded and one of them was killed. Among the injured was a boy called Bill Reid who went on to become one of the syndicate which rescued Clach in 1990.

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When my cousin and I demolished our old garage, we found two unopened boxes of ammunition hidden in the foundation stones of the garage. I always remember my grandfather saying we would get a surprise if we ever took the garage down but was never able to work it out until then.

the ammo was rifle bullets in old faded green boxes (definitely military / MOD) but when we opened one of them - as you do - they seemed to be in pristine condition, wrapped in something like grease paper and still lubricated from the oil in the container they had been held in for many years.

I took them over to the police station and the reaction was "oh, yeah, fill out this form, we get this sort of stuff all the time" ... seems that quite a lot of civil defence (or wartime) ordanance was stashed away and comes to light all the time !

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Imagine if you found them these days!! feckin shyte would hit the fan!

My mate came home from the area beside the cameron barracks in the late sixties with two mortar bombs ( 3" i think) we took them back to glenburn drive woods and proceeded to chuck them down a ravine to try and explode them - didnt work so i now assume they were practice bombs and we were not in any real danger - maybe!

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Imagine if you found them these days!! feckin shyte would hit the fan!

My story was only 6 or 7 years ago, just before I moved over here ! The cops were so blas? about it I was surprised ... its a common occurence supposedly.

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During the war Kingsmills Park was occupied by a number of military units, finally, if my memory serves me correctly, by Polish pioneers, who left behind a number of items of live ammunition.

This can't be right. Thistle were firing blanks for decades afterwards.

The only bombshell was when they got taken over. :blink:

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Charles, you've used up that 'for instance' long ago. You need some new ones :D

When I started teaching back in the 80s a third year lad came in with a box of bullets which apparently he found under his dad's bed (given the previous comments about firing blanks, perhaps this was an early version of Viagra).

He spent 2 or 3 periods showing them to his pals and handing them out. It was only when he got to techy and the teacher saw somebody putting one in a vice that the 'shyte hit the fan'.

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I remember my older brother telling me that, in the High school the Head got all the boys in the playground, with a cardboard box in hand and said he'd heard rumours that some bullets might have found there way to the school , so he said nothing will happen.... if you have any bullets put them in the box, my brother said there were loads!!!!!

Edited by latviaman
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When we moved into our old house in Crown Drive many moons ago (we used to back on to Millburn Academy), we noticed that our garden wall wasn't flush with the others that backed onto the school. After tackling a wasps nest and tearing down the remains of the rear wall, my father found a hand grenade in the foundations.

We called the police, and an officer duly came down to inspect it and, after a couple of calls, picked it up, put it into his cap on his passenger seat, and drove off.

A few weeks later, my dad bumped into the same officer and asked what happened next. Apparently, the bomb disposal squad came down to the police station, looked inside the safe (where it was being kept), and refused to remove the grenade. They unbolted the whole safe from the police station, and blew the whole thing up in a controlled explosion!

We later found out that the land where Millburn Academy now sits *may* have been used as a training site for the army, and that explains why this ordnance was found there.

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We later found out that the land where Millburn Academy now sits *may* have been used as a training site for the army.

So when Colin Baillie joined the Millburn staff, did much change? :blink:

Interesting insight there, though, into the casual attitude adopted by some in these days. Maybe it was partly a "familiarity breeds contempt" thing on the part of ex servicemen?

Edited by Charles Bannerman
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We later found out that the land where Millburn Academy now sits *may* have been used as a training site for the army.

So when Colin Baillie joined the Millburn staff, did much change? :blink:

Not a feckin lot... sure the troop sergeant from the film Full metal Jacket modelled himself on 'spittle' Baillie.

When i was in the army cadets (a good few years ago) we were at the Fort George shooting range for target practice when a land rover appeared, three regular soldiers jumped out and handed out 2nd world war Bren machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammo, seemingly they were to be dumped at sea, so if we wanted just use them up go ahead.

I think every fecking thing got shot that that didnt move, a lone seagull flew over the butts followed by 3 or four lines of tracer bullets.

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This one is inspired by an episode of Heartbeat (set in the 60s) which I was watching last night where a group of kids came across a pile of wartime ammunition.

Does anybody remember the odd discovery of items of ordnance about Inverness in the old days? I seem to remember that a few kids used to have the odd bullet at home and these would occasionally emerge in the waste land between St Valery Avenue and the canal.

During the war Kingsmills Park was occupied by a number of military units, finally, if my memory serves me correctly, by Polish pioneers, who left behind a number of items of live ammunition. One one occasion before the park reverted to football a group of boys were playing about there, something exploded and one of them was killed. Among the injured was a boy called Bill Reid who went on to become one of the syndicate which rescued Clach in 1990.

Oh Charles this has just revitalised some grey matter. Do you remember a Dalneigh dood by the name of Davy Denoon? He used to break into some army store in Raigmore and nick old tin helmets, daggers and much more. Many a time when I would be in my garden he would appear at the fence and try to flog his wares. I remember my mother chasing him off numerous times and we would later hear that he had been arrested yet again. From memory he had a brother Sandy who didn't give anyone any bother at all. We all felt sorry for his poor mother who didn't have much and wee Davy gave her so much grief. Some of the OLDER Dalneigh and Ferry boys are bound to remember the infamous DAVY DENOON! Where is he now?

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  • 3 weeks later...

This one is inspired by an episode of Heartbeat (set in the 60s) which I was watching last night where a group of kids came across a pile of wartime ammunition.

Does anybody remember the odd discovery of items of ordnance about Inverness in the old days? I seem to remember that a few kids used to have the odd bullet at home and these would occasionally emerge in the waste land between St Valery Avenue and the canal.

During the war Kingsmills Park was occupied by a number of military units, finally, if my memory serves me correctly, by Polish pioneers, who left behind a number of items of live ammunition. One one occasion before the park reverted to football a group of boys were playing about there, something exploded and one of them was killed. Among the injured was a boy called Bill Reid who went on to become one of the syndicate which rescued Clach in 1990.

Oh Charles this has just revitalised some grey matter. Do you remember a Dalneigh dood by the name of Davy Denoon? He used to break into some army store in Raigmore and nick old tin helmets, daggers and much more. Many a time when I would be in my garden he would appear at the fence and try to flog his wares. I remember my mother chasing him off numerous times and we would later hear that he had been arrested yet again. From memory he had a brother Sandy who didn't give anyone any bother at all. We all felt sorry for his poor mother who didn't have much and wee Davy gave her so much grief. Some of the OLDER Dalneigh and Ferry boys are bound to remember the infamous DAVY DENOON! Where is he now?

I saw him at the Dunfermline home game - in a camouflage jacket !!!

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When we moved into our old house in Crown Drive many moons ago (we used to back on to Millburn Academy), we noticed that our garden wall wasn't flush with the others that backed onto the school. After tackling a wasps nest and tearing down the remains of the rear wall, my father found a hand grenade in the foundations.

We called the police, and an officer duly came down to inspect it and, after a couple of calls, picked it up, put it into his cap on his passenger seat, and drove off.

A few weeks later, my dad bumped into the same officer and asked what happened next. Apparently, the bomb disposal squad came down to the police station, looked inside the safe (where it was being kept), and refused to remove the grenade. They unbolted the whole safe from the police station, and blew the whole thing up in a controlled explosion!

We later found out that the land where Millburn Academy now sits *may* have been used as a training site for the army, and that explains why this ordnance was found there.

The area on Balloan Road near where the pond now sits was also the site of a number of ordnance finds including hand grenades - was always rumoured that it too was an old training site but never seen anything to confirm this or otherwise as it would have been quite a bit out of town in the 40s or maybe that would have been the point.... :lol:

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This one is inspired by an episode of Heartbeat (set in the 60s) which I was watching last night where a group of kids came across a pile of wartime ammunition.

Does anybody remember the odd discovery of items of ordnance about Inverness in the old days? I seem to remember that a few kids used to have the odd bullet at home and these would occasionally emerge in the waste land between St Valery Avenue and the canal.

During the war Kingsmills Park was occupied by a number of military units, finally, if my memory serves me correctly, by Polish pioneers, who left behind a number of items of live ammunition. One one occasion before the park reverted to football a group of boys were playing about there, something exploded and one of them was killed. Among the injured was a boy called Bill Reid who went on to become one of the syndicate which rescued Clach in 1990.

Oh Charles this has just revitalised some grey matter. Do you remember a Dalneigh dood by the name of Davy Denoon? He used to break into some army store in Raigmore and nick old tin helmets, daggers and much more. Many a time when I would be in my garden he would appear at the fence and try to flog his wares. I remember my mother chasing him off numerous times and we would later hear that he had been arrested yet again. From memory he had a brother Sandy who didn't give anyone any bother at all. We all felt sorry for his poor mother who didn't have much and wee Davy gave her so much grief. Some of the OLDER Dalneigh and Ferry boys are bound to remember the infamous DAVY DENOON! Where is he now?

I saw him at the Dunfermline home game - in a camouflage jacket !!!

No tin hat and sub machine gun then?

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Oh Charles this has just revitalised some grey matter. Do you remember a Dalneigh dood by the name of Davy Denoon? He used to break into some army store in Raigmore and nick old tin helmets, daggers and much more. Many a time when I would be in my garden he would appear at the fence and try to flog his wares. I remember my mother chasing him off numerous times and we would later hear that he had been arrested yet again. From memory he had a brother Sandy who didn't give anyone any bother at all. We all felt sorry for his poor mother who didn't have much and wee Davy gave her so much grief. Some of the OLDER Dalneigh and Ferry boys are bound to remember the infamous DAVY DENOON! Where is he now?

Yes, I do remember Davy Denoon who might have been a couple of years older than I was and hence not fully fledged in a life of crime when we used to wander the streets of Dalneigh as kids. I recollect him as a bit on the wild side, a bit sinister and a bit strange but it would seem that in the ensuing years he managed to descend somewhat into the lifestyle described by Caleyboy. I also have a vague memory of his somewhat stressed mother in what was (in these days) the relatively unusual single parent situation. What I mean by that is that if someone "didn't have a dad", that was something that would be remarked on.

Edited by Charles Bannerman
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  • 1 month later...

The only bombshell was when they got taken over. :D

So you're conveniently ignoring, for instance, the 1988 Qualifying Cup replay at Telford Street. Caley 0 Jags 3. :lol::lol::lol:

Any more instances you'd like to remind us of ?

Scottish Cup third round 84/85

Inverness Thistle 3 - 0 Kilmarnock

Hearts 6 - 0 Caledonian

Yeah the Jags got beat 6-0 by Celtic in the next round.

Out of interest was looking at Highland League Championships since formation of league to 1994. Thistle 8 Caley 18 and Clach 17

Back to subject. I once found a mortar shell at Achnacarry and played with it for ages till all hell broke loose when one of the older residents of Roy Bridge recognised it. Thought the whole village was going to be blown up. Police, Soldiers etc. Turned out to be a dud.

Edited by Alex MacLeod
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The only bombshell was when they got taken over. ;)

So you're conveniently ignoring, for instance, the 1988 Qualifying Cup replay at Telford Street. Caley 0 Jags 3. ;) :lol::lol:

Any more instances you'd like to remind us of ?

Scottish Cup third round 84/85

Inverness Thistle 3 - 0 Kilmarnock

Hearts 6 - 0 Caledonian

Yeah the Jags got beat 6-0 by Celtic in the next round.

Out of interest was looking at Highland League Championships since formation of league to 1994. Thistle 8 Caley 18 and Clach 17

Back to subject. I once found a mortar shell at Achnacarry and played with it for ages till all hell broke loose when one of the older residents of Roy Bridge recognised it. Thought the whole village was going to be blown up. Police, Soldiers etc. Turned out to be a dud.

The Inverness teams actually sustained three 6-0 defeats to top league sides in the Scottish Cup in about a year in the mid 80s because apart from Caley's defeat by Hearts and Jags' by Celtic in 1985, Caley also lost 6-0 to Rangers at Telford Street in 1984 in the only one of these three to take place in Inverness.

Interesting statistics about the number of Highland League titles won by Inverness clubs up to 1994 but if you look at the first 25 HL titles up to 1923, 13 went to Clach, 6 to Caley, 3 to Jags and 1 to Citadel. The only teams outwith Inverness to take the title in these early days, when the HL was rather more embryonic, were Buckie and Aberdeen "A". This also means that in what we might call the "modern" Highland League, Clach have won 4 titles, Jags 5 and Caley 12. It's also interesting how the centre of gravity of the Highland League has moved so firmly out of Inverness where it was founded in Bridge Street in 1893. It's gone from a situation where Inverness, which once had SIX Highland League clubs (Union and Camerons were the other two by the way), won 23 of the first 25 titles but within the last few months has only been able to hold on to any representation at all in that league by the skin of its teeth.

Finally, presumably the mortar shell at Achnacarry was one of a huge amount of ordnance left behind after Commando training there during the war. I actually marvel at the fact the as few buried bombs, mines etc now seem to be left around, given the amount of the stuff that was flung about during hostilities.

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