This volume, the earlier of the two-volume official History of Aberdeen, provides a comprehensive picture of the development of the two historic burghs of Old Aberdeen and New Aberdeen over their first seven centuries, from 1100 to 1800. As early as the 14th century, Aberdeen was: recognized as one of the 'four great towns of Scotland'. Early settlement, the growing townscape and social change over the centuries are all traced. Aberdeen's contacts with the sea and other towns overseas and its economy and politics, both local and national, are assessed. And Aberdonians themselves, the vital forces behind the history of the two burghs, are highlighted: their faith and culture, homes and health, and their education and pastimes are all rediscovered.
To Mark the New Millennium Aberdeen City Council has commissioned a new history of Aberdeen in two volumes: Aberdeen, 1800 to 2000 and Aberdeen before 1800.
Aberdeen is rich in history, much of it hidden. Now, in 'Hidden Aberdeen', Fiona-Jane Brown explores the city through new eyes, revealing new stories from the past and bringing the modern city to life.
In Tunisia with II Corps, Lt. John Randall locates a downed German plane and demolishes two live bombs still mounted on the wreckage … In Italy, Capt. Ronald Felton’s team contends with dreaded “Butterfly Bombs” left behind to menace the US 5th Army … Landing with the 6th US Special Engineers Brigade, Capt. Jesse Donovan’s squad braves deadly 88mm shells in pursuit of enemy rockets on Utah Beach … Serving with the 9th Army Air Force in France, Capt. Thomas Reece survives a close encounter with a German landmine … Capt. Joseph Pilcher joins in the 78th Infantry’s final assault on a dam guarding the approaches to Germany … Sweeping the 11th Airborne Division’s trail on Luzon, Lt. Carl Cirocco’s team is ambushed by the Japanese … Capt. Richard Metress is dispatched to tackle enemy depth charges for the 19th Infantry Regiment on Mandog Hill … Capt. Clifford Sarauw covers the US 10th Army’s fateful landing on Okinawa … These aforementioned exploits are among the notable events contained in Nine from Aberdeen, the first academic history solely devoted to the US Army’s Ordnance Bomb Disposal Branch from World War II. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, nine US Army officers and sergeants were sent from Aberdeen Proving Ground to war-torn England in order to learn the invaluable technical skills pioneered by the British Royal Engineers. Led by the colorful Thomas J. Kane, these nine men inaugurated the new Ordnance Bomb Disposal School. Conceived initially for homeland defense, Col. Kane’s branch eventually fielded over two hundred Army and Air Force bomb squads for overseas service. These courageous officers and men were forerunners of today’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists, responsible for supporting the US military during combat operations and for preserving the lives of noncombatants at all other times. Using documents and photographs – many from personal collections – as well as oral interviews, this work presents a cross-section of US Army and Air Force operations spanning three major theaters: Mediterranean, European, and the Pacific. Special emphasis is given to the European Theater, where Col. Kane served as Gen. Eisenhower’s chief ETO bomb disposal officer. Nine from Aberdeen also contains charts detailing campaign participations, ordnance statistics, and other significant data. Command Sergeant Major James H. Clifford (Retired), military consultant for the award-winning film, The Hurt Locker, provides an afterword on the continuity of modern EOD.
Isobell needs to escape. She has to. Her life depends on it. She has a plan and it's a well thought-out, well observed plan, to flee her privileged life in London and the cruel man who would marry her, and ruin her, and make a fresh start in Scotland. She dreams of faery castles, surrounded by ancient woodlands and misty lochs... and maybe even romance, in the dark and haunted eyes of a mysterious Laird. Despite the superstitious nature of the time and place, her dreams seem to be coming true, as she finds friendship and warmth, love and safety. And the chance for a new beginning... Until the past catches up with her. Set in the late sixteenth century, at the height of the Scottish witchcraft accusations, The Mermaid and The Bear is a story of triumph over evil, hope through adversity, faith in humankind and - above all - love.
Situated in southeastern Harford County and edged by the Chesapeake Bay and the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers, the U.S. Army bases known as Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood Arsenal, and Fort Hoyle have been home to ordnance, chemical, technology, and artillery commands. The photographs in this volume include scenes of the fertile farmlands of Aberdeen, Edgewood, and Michaelsville, and their transformation, which began in 1917, into the military base known today as Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG. Views of daily life on base include the "Toonerville" Trolley, a small-scale train that shuttled commuting personnel between the main gate and the buildings on post. The images document changes in the ways wars have been fought and changes in society as a result of war. Brave officers voluntarily tested the effects of mustard agent and other chemical weapons on protective clothing and gas masks. Local women sewed gas masks for troops and civilians. Women moved into key jobs on base during World War II, manufacturing and maintaining tanks and weapons systems as the need for great numbers of troops depleted the workforce of civilian males. APG scientists led the way into the computer age when they developed ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer.
Aberdeen Grammar School has a long and distinguished history; its origins are obscure, but are believed to date from the late medieval period, which supports the claims that it is one of the oldest schools in Britain. Titled after the modern school motto, this book traces Aberdeen Grammar School’s fortunes from its beginnings, many centuries ago, through its recent transformation into a coeducational, comprehensive school, serving much of the central and western districts of Aberdeen City. In doing so, it also assesses the school’s contribution to the North-East of Scotland and pays tribute to more than 800 former pupils, who rank amongst Aberdeen’s past and current most notable citizens.
Aberdeen has been inhabited for 8,000 years, since the first Hunter-Gatherers settled on the banks of the River Dee. 4,000 years later, Bronze Age peoples left their mark on the landscape by constructing a huge number of recumbent stone circles, once thought to be places of sacrifice. Invaders including Celts, Romans and Vikings met violent, bloody resistance, and the victorious Roman army left thousands of Caledonian corpses for the crows following the Battle of Mons Graupius. From the slaughter of Aberdeen Castle’s English garrison (part of a citizens’ uprising in support of Robert the Bruce) to all-out assaults on the city by Kings, Royalists and Nazis, no century has left the city unmarked. Plague, wars, clan feuds, murderers, witches, covenanters and slavers – all have stained the silver city red with blood!
Duncan Harley takes the reader on a grand tour through Aberdeenshire's fascinating and rich history, culminating in a collection of stories and facts that will make you marvel at the events this county has witnessed.Read about the Beaker People, blue-painted Picts and the Roman legionnaires who tried, but ultimately failed to subdue the local populace. William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Donald Trump inhabit these pages alongside tales of Bloody Harlaw, the Herschip of Buchan and the battle of Mons Graupius. Discover the painter priest of Macduff, the English Dillinger, the famous diggers of Inverurie's George Square and the strange tale of how Lawrence of Arabia 'got his scuds' over at Collieston.The Little History of Aberdeenshire is guaranteed to enthral both residents and visitors alike.
