Home Defence

In May 1940 Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary called for volunteers to "keep the country safe". His officials were unprepared for the 250,000 names registered within the first 24 hours and the 1,400,000 by the end of June. The Local Defence Volunteers, as they were called, were renamed the Home Guard by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

The officer in overall charge of the 1st Ross-shire Battalion Home Guard had his HQ at Arabella House. he was Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Dick-Lauder. Bart.

Rear-Admiral Cecil B Prickett, whose HQ was at Glastullich House, was in command of A Company, consisting of 7 platoons.

The roll of the Home Guard was to support and assist the regular units of armed forces in the area. They also performed patrol and guard duties and liased with  RAF Tain and HMS Owl and the gun battery at Nigg. In addition they undertook various exercises, both small and large scale, to prepare for enemy activity.

People joined various other organisations in order to paly their part in the defence of the country.

Civil defence excercises were held to allow groups to co-ordinate their efforts. Forbie Urquhart recalls volunteering to be a patient during one exercise. The scenario had him a victim of a bomb blast on Tarlogie Farm steading. He had to climb up onto a ledge via extension ladders where he was then strapped to a stretcher, dangled over the ledge and lowered to the ground by a block and tackle rigged by the participants. It was an experience he found "quite exciting".

Dr EK made sure his Air Raid Precaution group were well versed infirst aid.

The Women's Voluntary Service ran a canteen for the troops under the Picture House.

Even school children played their part. Wattie Louden remembers his class being marched down from the old Academy to the Links where they filled sand bags for the Pioneer Corp to transport into the town. These were then put round buildings, such as the Town Hall and Academy to protect against bomb blast.