KEEPING THOSE WAR MEMORIES ALIVE
WHEN Andy Robertson returned from active service in south east Asia to his native Shetland in September 1946, he could not know how deeply the war experience was to form his personality and his later life.
Sixty years on, as the county commemorates the end of the Second World War today (Monday), Mr Robertson can also look back at more than 20 years of collecting artefacts from the war.
Over the years the Cabin Museum, at his home village of Vidlin, has developed into the most extraordinary collection of medals, badges, uniforms, newspaper cuttings, and above all, Andy's own memories and comments.
Barely 18 years old, he enlisted into the navy in January 1943 and was first stationed in Lowestoft before being posted to South East Asia. It was here that he witnessed the end of the war when Japan surrendered on 15 August, 1945.
"We were lying off a bay on the east side in Sri Lanka, waiting for the Operation Zipper to take place, which was supposed to be the final invasion of Malaya, when we heard about these atom bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"Eventually, on the fifteenth of August the Japanese surrendered, and we were wondering what was going to happen to us. We still carried it out as it was planned but there were no casualties of course," he recalled.
"I like to remember it as a relief, just think what would have happened had these atom bombs not been dropped. We had the idea it wasn't necessary. But, who know?" he added.
He was subsequently involved with the tidying-up operation in Asia for another year, shipping thousands of war prisoners and displaced people back to their native countries.
He returned to Shetland late in 1946 where he spent his working life in the islands' tweed industry and later in the fish trade.
But his time in the navy and the experience of the war left a deep mark and in the early 80s Andy started collecting medals and other war artefacts.
As his private collection grew, space in the small crofthouse became a problem, and he had to move his collection to a shed next to the croft he and his wife Babs live in, hence the name of the little museum.
Here he spends most of his time, entertaining and educating a growing number of visitors. His collection has become a valuable source of local history and Andy is only too happy to share a yarn with anybody who shows an interest in his favourite subject.
He will commemorate VJ Day with a special exhibition later this month for which the National Lottery has donated £621.
"I always had an interest in this sort of thing. I get a lot of questions asked about medals, as a lot of people do not realise what they are and why they are there.
"I try to keep this going as long as I can and try to bring in the younger generation to get across what was going on in those days. Sixty years ago may be ancient history to them, but it is somebody's memories."
Meanwhile, a team of dedicated Cabin Museum trustees are busy raising money in order to attract public funding so that the collection can be housed in a more museum-like environment.
The museum is open when the Shetland flag flies above the Cabin. Donations to support the collection are very welcome.
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Hans J. Marter, 15th August 2005 |
