Mary Smith and the spare room
|
Mrs Mary Smith was typical of many Buckie residents during the war and like so many in the civilian population she 'did her bit' for the war effort.
With the influx of Danish and Norwegian refugees in 1940 and 1941, the representatives of the Town Council went around householders to ascertain whether they had spare rooms in their homes and whether they had the ability to house any of the Danes of Norwegians. Mary Berrie was born in 1911, the daughter of Andrew Berrie, a gardener and greenkeeper and his wife Christian. She married George Smith in 1932. They lived at 59 High Street Buckie and it was here, in the summer of 1940, that the Town Council came in search for 'spare rooms' in which to house refugees. |
Mary Smith, on the right, with her family.
|
The Valuation Roll for 1935 showing 59 High Street owned by Mary's father, Andrew Berrie.
|
The Hitsøy Brothers
Amongst the Norwegians that the Smith family had to stay were members of the Hitsøy family had made their way to Shetland in August of 1941 on M/B. Hitsøy.
There were five or more Hitsøy brothers on that voyage and we are currently gathering information on them. Nils Hitsøy was the skipper of the boat and his sixteen year old son Leif was also onboard. In addition, a number of Nils's brothers were also onboard; Didrik, Kristoffer, Olav, Halvard and perhaps others. Once we have more the story of the Hitsøys (pictured left and below) will be told on a page about them. 
Coming soon | Kommer snart
|
Mary died in 1989 and is buried at Rathven. The documents on this page are courtesy of Mrs Smith's granddaughter Alison.
The bowl given to Mary Smith at the end of the war as a mark of gratitude. It is believed to have been made in the woodwork shed at the Norwegian slip.