Radio Caledonia (1)
I was listening to a program recently on Radio 4. At the beginning
there was a familiar voice – Lord Haw-Haw saying ‘Germany Calling,
Germany Calling’. He was William Joyce, a broadcaster of Nazi
propaganda during the Second World War.
The program’s presenter reported that there was more than just Joyce
involved in broadcasting of that type. There was even a Scot involved.
He was from the Highlands.
The rest of the program was about Donald Grant. He was born in Alness,
in Easter Ross, in 1907. He created Radio Caledonia.
Unlike Joyce, none of the broadcasts that Grant made exist today. But
the woman on Radio 4 found transcripts of some of his programs. Donald
was maintaining that he was a Scottish ‘nationalist’. But he was a
Fascist. And the British spying services were familiar with him.
Donald’s father was a grocer in Alness. Donald was a pupil in the
Alness Public School and Dingwall Academy. He demonstrated at a young
age that he had perverse views on politics. His opinions were so
damnable that his father expelled him from the house.
After school, he was working in England and Ireland. Then he was back
in Alness for a while. Through most of the thirties he was in London.
At that time, the Nazis and Fascists were on the rise throughout
Europe.
He and the head of Nazi propaganda, Rolf Hoffmann, were writing to each
other. Donald was calling himself ‘Derrick’ at times – and also
‘British Fascist’. He had poisonous views on Jews.
Grant was saying that he received an invitation to go and stay in Germany
with a German family for four weeks. In the summer of 1939 he went there.
Many people were fleeing from Germany at that time. We’ll see what happened
to him next week.
Radio Caledonia (1)
Bha mi ag èisteachd ri prògram o chionn ghoirid air Rèidio 4. Aig an
toiseach bha guth aithnichte ann – am Morair Haw-Haw ag aithris ‘Germany
Calling, Germany Calling’. B’ esan Uilleam Joyce, craoladair propaganda
Natsach anns an Dàrna Cogadh.
Dh’inns tè-lìbhrigidh a’ phrògraim gun robh barrachd na dìreach Joyce an
sàs ann an craoladh dhen t-seòrsa sin. Bha eadhon fear Albannach ann. ʼS
ann às a’ Ghàidhealtachd a bha e.
Bha an còrr dhen phrògram a-mach air Dòmhnall Grannd. Rugadh e ann an
Alanais, ann an taobh an ear Rois, ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a seachd
(1907). Chruthaich e Radio Caledonia.
Eucoltach ri Joyce, chan eil gin de na clàraidhean a rinn an Granndach ann
am bith an-diugh. Ach lorg an tè air Rèidio 4 tar-sgrìobhaidhean de chuid
de na prògraman aige. Bha Dòmhnall a’ cumail a-mach gun robh e na
‘nàiseantach’ Albannach. Ach ʼs e Faisisteach a bha ann. Agus bha na
seirbheisean-brathaidh Breatannach eòlach air.
Bha athair Dhòmhnaill na ghròsair ann an Alanais. Bha Dòmhnall na sgoilear
ann an Sgoil Phoblach Alanais agus Acadamaidh Inbhir Pheofharain. Dhearbh e
aig aois òg gun robh beachdan claon aige air poilitigs. Bha na beachdan
aige cho damainte ʼs gun do chuir athair a-mach às an taigh e.
An dèidh na sgoile, bha e ag obair ann an Sasainn agus Èirinn. An uair sin
bha e air ais ann an Alanais airson greis. Tron chuid as motha de na
tritheadan bha e ann an Lunnainn. Aig an àm sin bha na Natsaich is
Faisistich ag èirigh air feadh na Roinn Eòrpa.
Bha e fhèin is ceannard propaganda nan Natsach, Rolf Hoffmann, a’
sgrìobhadh gu càch a chèile. Bha Dòmhnall a’ gabhail ‘Derrick’ air fhèin
aig amannan – agus cuideachd ‘British Fascist’. Bha beachdan nimheil aige
air Iùdhaich.
Bha Grannd ag ràdh gun d’ fhuair e cuireadh a dhol a dh’fhuireach anns a’
Ghearmailt le teaghlach Gearmailteach airson ceithir seachdainean. As
t-samhradh naoi ceud deug, trithead ʼs a naoi (1939), chaidh e ann. Bha
mòran a’ teicheadh às a’ Ghearmailt aig an àm sin. Chì sinn dè thachair dha
an-ath-sheachdain.
