Clydebank

Today is the 76th anniversary of the Clydebank Blitz.

The Clydebank Blitz refers to the 2 devastating Luftwaffe air raids on the nights of 13 & 14 March 1941; the town was largely destroyed and it suffered the worst destruction and loss of civilian life in all of Scotland. 528 people died, 617 people were seriously injured, and hundreds more were injured by blast debris. Out of approximately 12,000 houses, only seven remained undamaged — with 4,000 completely destroyed and 4,500 severely damaged. Over 35,000 people were made homeless.
Clydebank's production of ships and munitions for the Allies made it a target (similar to the Barrow Blitz). Major targets included the John Brown & Company shipyard, ROF Dalmuir and the Singer Corporation factory. A total of 439 bombers dropped over 1,000 bombs. RAF fighters managed to shoot down two aircraft during the raid, but none were brought down by anti-aircraft fire. [Text from Wikipedia; much more information & resources searchable online]
My Nana's (grandmother's) best friend/bridesmaid was never found after that date; no family was unaffected to some degree.
At the time, the news of the blitz was suppressed and not shared with the rest of the country as it was felt it would be bad for morale; it only became more generally known about throughout the wider country in the years after the war.

Image shows the Titan Crane;  a 150ft cantilever crane designed to be used in the lifting of heavy equipment such as engines and boilers during the fitting out of battleships & ocean liners at the John Brown shipyard. The world's first electrically powered cantilever crane, the largest of it's type at the time of it's completion [1907], it was used to construct some of the 20th century's largest ships, including the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth & Queen Elizabeth II. Now a Category A listed historical structure, it was refurbished in 2007 as a tourist attraction & shipbuilding museum. [text from Wikipedia]