First Term at Aberdeen, Autumn 1964: Letter

From a first-year student writing home to a small town in the Highlands:-

[omitting personal names]

Crombie Hall,

College Bounds,

Old Aberdeen.

2:11:64.

University of Aberdeen: Crombie Hall 1964
The only hall of residence in Aberdeen at the time for students (many lived in
digs), Crombie was innovatively mixed but had separate 'blocks' of
study-bedrooms for males and females, with a 10 p.m. curfew for 'intervisitation'.

Dear Mum,

           Thanks for the letter & parcel. I’m replying at once so that you can send the enclosed form back to me completed as soon as possible – I matriculate on Thursday so I couldn’t send it off until then anyway, but there’s no sense in having unnecessary delays. I’ll probably start getting a guilt-complex about all this affluence, & give away vast sums to charity or something (this is where you point out that charity begins at home). As you say, I have no money worries.¹ There has been no trouble about withdrawing money from the P.O. and anyway, as I omitted to inform you, most of my wealth is in an account I opened with the Clydesdale & North of Scotland Bank just after I got my grant, which was paid by crossed money-order. I can’t make cheque payments, but I can withdraw any amount without notice, paying 2½^D if it’s over £2. Bursaries, by the way, are paid half at a time, and in cash – it was super walking about for a little while with 8 fivers in my note-case.

            I’m not sure if I’ll be going tot the Autumn Ball – probably not, actually, unless my Fairy Godmother is working overtime, the big snag being a Partner. If not, I’ll probably go to the Marxist Society Hop in the Union instead (you don’t have to be a member, they just want money) and then sit up all night writing a History essay, or something. The silver 2-piece² will probably come in handy anyway, for instance there’s a French Club party on Saturday.

To reassure you in case you think I’m neglecting the work bit: I got reasonable marks in my first French & German³ proses, and improved them in my second in both subjects; also we had a History essay exam in which I got 60% (not at all bad for a first time, they tell me) and was best in my tutorial group. My effort was described as “a good clear discussion of the document” and as I had been even more than usually pessimistic about the thing, I was very pleased. It’s funny how my whole attitude to my essays changes when I get them back with favourable comments. I nearly wrote to [the history teacher at school] to boast about it! 

Impressions of 3 lecturers in the History Department at Aberdeen, 1966.
Dr Carter (centre) was also Warden of 'C' block in Crombie Hall.

Tell [younger sister] to keep up the good work in tests etc., also not to turn aside to Geography or anything unspeakably ‘orrible like that.⁴ Thinking back to me on 2A, it’s extraordinary to hear of [the geography teacher] enquiring about me – just shows you (something or other), n’est-ce pas? And ask her what about the epistles she was threatening to write, unless one is in the post already. Has she had her hair cut?!

Delighted to hear about new little cousins. I’ll get something for [one of them] in the next day or two & send it with a card. How is wee [youngest sister] getting on these days? – {School friend] told me about her gloating over the election results, heh-heh.⁵

I must close now in order to get some sleep.

 [Signed off]

P.S. The propagandists told all about it on Societies Morning. “You want to join the Historical Society?” they said. “A good move. The Prof gets a list of all new members and gives them 60 in their first essay”!

[Over page, slanting down:]
I hope you can read my writing these days; I know it gets worse & worse.

Would German script be a help? {In approximate Gothic writing]                  Might not.

By the way, I got my typewriter⁶ back – broken in 2 directions this time. Must write them a nasty letter..

Notes:

1. The writer had been awarded the maximum grant from the Scottish Education Department and had also won an Entrance Bursary from the University. Her "affluence" was relative.

2. The two-piece was home-made, of 'Lurex' material.

3. At Aberdeen the Honours MA had to include two 'outside' subjects in the first year as well as the main one (or one outside subject for Joint Honours).

4. Pupils in the academic stream going on to study for Highers (Scottish Higher Leaving Certificate) had to narrow their choice of subjects at the end of second year in the secondary school, as in Science or Languages, History or Geography. The writer was a partisan of history (and languages).

5. The Labour Party under Harold Wilson narrowly won the general election of October 1964.

6. The typewriter was a toy one.

A selection of Crombie residents (see below)

 

Prelude to 1968? - Lake Como, Italy, summer 1967

The anarchist summer camp that took place in Italy 50 years ago this summer seems to have virtually disappeared from the historical record, at least as far as online sources are concerned, despite the fact that the following year, around the time of the May Events, it briefly acquired an aura of notoriety when it emerged that Daniel Cohn-Bendit and his brother had been among those attending. Had it been, as alleged, an occasion for international conspiring or even a training-ground to foment unrest, leading to riot and revolution?

Well, no, or no more so than the more optimistic anarchists might normally hope to make it, although no doubt lively discussions took place and useful contacts may have been made.

This small set of tattered photographs is a reminder that it did happen, even if it didn't look much like the popular idea of revolutionary anarchists a-plotting, and that a good time was had by many.

Lakeside

A peaceful setting

"The boat of the camping".
(Advance publicity claimed it would be possible to cross to Como by boat)

Not even a nudist orgy

A family-friendly cafe.
Useful Italian phrase: Due panini con burro.

Or of course communal cooking, even if it sometimes took a while...

... to the occasional despair of famished campers, as in
"Je ne crois plus aux frites!"

The local population remained largely unimpressed.

An Attempt to Subvert the US Military, December 1966

A further document relating to the history of Aberdeen YCND (mid-1960s vintage) has come to light in the form of the leaflet transcribed here. Current world events suggest that, although the base at Edzell is no more, some at least of the leaflet's content may be only too relevant today. 

TO U.S. PERSONNEL (EDZELL)

This weekend while we are fasting in protest against your Government’s policy in Vietnam, and while you are celebrating Christmas with your families, there is occurring a truce of two days duration in that war-torn country. After the truce is over the war will be resumed with ever greater ferocity. More civilians will be accidentally killed by American troops, more members of the N.L.F. have their flesh seared by Napalm and their crops poisoned by the chemicals which are in daily use in Vietnam.

All over the world people are crying out in protest against the crimes being perpetrated in Vietnam by the American Government, in the names of freedom and humanity. We have come here to add our voices to this protest. To appeal not to those of you who are so blind and so unassailable in your bigotry, so hate-filled that you would gladly kill us as well as slaughter the Vietnamese, but to those of you who have misgivings about the war. The war being waged in your name, the war that is CRUEL, ILLEGAL and IMMORAL.

There are many amongst you who see through the lies put out by your Government, who know that the people of South Vietnam are not heroically resisting Communist aggression but are fighting a foreign invader from 5,000 miles across the sea. Who would agree with former President Eisenhower when he said, “I have never talked or corresponded with a person knowledgeable in Indo-Chinese affairs who didn’t agree that had elections been held as of the time of the fighting, possible 80% OF THE POPULATION WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR THE COMMUNIST HO CHI MINH” (White House Years, 1953-6, p.372). But who do not draw his conclusions, namely that they should not be allowed to take such a course as it would prejudice America’s access to supplies of certain minerals and raw materials in South East Asia. The Vietnamese are suffering not because they are being invaded by Communists, but because of the GREED of certain sections of American society, who are finding war “GOOD BUSINESS”. But war is not good business for the young Americans who through their daily contact with the horror that is Vietnam lose all regard and respect for human life. They are becoming hardened to cutting people down like cloth dummies as they flee, frantic, helpless. ALREADY VIETNAM IS A SCAR ON THE AMERICAN CONSCIENCE THAT CAN NEVER HEAL.

During the days we are here you will see us fasting. Many of you will manage to shrug your shoulders and call us commies but others will know this is not so, you will be unable to ignore us and disregard our leaflets.

We in Britain can only do two things. The first is to stop our Government supporting America in Vietnam. This is difficult because, as Dean Rusk puts it, “AMERICA SUPPORTS THE POUND AND BRITAIN SUPPORTS THE AMERICANS IN VIETNAM”. The second thing we can do, and what we have in fact come here to do is to ask you to DISENGAGE YOURSELF FROM THE AMERICAN MILITARY MACHINE of which you are a part, TO PUT ASIDE ALL CONSIDERATIONS OF JOB AND FAMILY – TO DESERT.

This is a difficult step to take, requiring courage, but as the great Pacifist thinker Tolstoy said, “Not billions of roubles, not millions of soldiers, no institutions or wars have so much power as the simple declaration of a free man that he considers something to be  right or wrong.” WE ASK YOU TO MAKE THIS DECLARATION.

The war continues, the war ESCALATES, WE GIVE YOU A WARNING. This conflict will lead to World War III unless stopped soon. In this you and your families will CERTAINLY DIE, and the attack which Edzell base will draw upon itself will kill by fire and fallout a large number of the population in Dundee and Aberdeen. By leaving the American forces you would be helping in some measure to avert this terrible prospect and also to bring about a lasting peace in VIETNAM.

CHRISTMAS 1966

THIS FAST IS SUPPORTED BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS –

[All supplied with Aberdeen addresses]

YOUTH FOR PEACE IN VIETNAM

Y.C.N.D.

COMMITTEE OF 100

“MEGATON” GROUP

Further information:-

http://www.ivycom.com/edzell/site/ - for background on the base.

https://lenathehyena.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/scotlands-radical-youth-1960s-scotland-ban-the-bomb-and-anti-vietnam-movement-in-aberdeen/ - background on the protestors.

Captured American tank on display to tourists in Vietnam, summer 2017

Scots Against War, mid 1960s

Extract from article 'The spies who stayed out in the cold', Inside Story magazine no.9, May/June 1973:

Back cover of Inside Story issue no.9 

   During all this time [1963-64] a parallel but completely independent response to the situation in the Committee of 100 had taken place in Scotland. Some Glasgow activists who had attended the Way Ahead conference in February 1963 were impressed by the arguments of Beyond Counting Arses, and developed their ideas in a similar way. 
   The first public indication of this phenomenon was the appearance at the Holy Loch demonstration on 25 May 1963 of a duplicated leaflet called How to disrupt, obstruct and subvert the Warfare State, and signed 'Scots Against War'. This was followed by an irregular series of publications over the next couple of years, aimed at stimulating radical activity in the nuclear disarmament movement.
   This activity was not confined to argument, and sabotage became frequent and widespread from 1963 to 1966. Several fires were started at the Holy Loch and Faslane bases, and many Civil Defence and Army offices all over the country were broken into and often wrecked. Occasionally some individuals were arrested, but the authorities preferred to keep things quiet. Few charges were brought, and only fines were imposed. The Scots Against War group was never broken, but in the end it faded away.
   In June 1966 the Scottish Solidarity group published as its first pamphlet A Way Ahead, which was a collection of the articles on the Scots Against War and the sabotage issue printed in both Scotland and London, with editorial comments. The subtitle was 'For a New Peace Movement', but the pamphlet virtually marked the end of the old one. Nevertheless, the career of the Scots Against War, inspired by the same idea as the Spies for Peace (and frequently in informal contact with them), may be seen as one of the most successful practical assaults on the military system mounted by the whole nuclear disarmament movement.  

"INSIDE STORY was a brave UK South London based underground alternative publication aimed at the counterculture & focusing on political issues alternative living, inside information etc ."

What the C100 and SfP were bothered about.:

Page preceding the 'Spies' article

The nuclear planners envisaged a scenario in which, among other demographic consequences, the number of (internal) refugees after the bomb dropped would exceed the population of Scotland, plus a large chunk of England and Wales. 

The full article can now be seen (images of pages) at http://radicalhistorynetwork.blogspot.com.

A Scottish schoolgirl in Belgium in 1962

 From a letter written during an exchange visit:-

[Initials are substituted for personal names]

c/o la famille L
.. 
Theux (Pr. Liège)
Belgique

3:8:62.

Dear Mum and Dad,

 I got your letter this morning just before settling out for Spa with J. We've been there all day and it's a lovely town, full of parks with statues, flowers and fountains. I bought lots of postcards...

  I'm having a marvellous time here. The food isn't really too different --I've even had chips a couple of times (better than D's [local chipshop] too!). I'm speaking French all the time, except when J talks English, which she does when she doesn't want anyone else to understand -- very handy, sometimes.

  The best day so far was Sunday. On Saturday J's friend C came back from Italy where she had been with a group of the local equivalent of Girl Guides, and on Sunday we had lunch at her house. In the afternoon we went (J, C and I) to the fête at Louveigné, near C's. There were dodgems, stalls, etc., but no candy-floss, worse luck! We then had tea at C's before returning here to change for the dance in the evening. J has been coaching me by means of the gramophone... The dances here are much better than in Scotland. The mothers often come along too, and talk over a glass of wine, or even dance, on occasion. No-one liked the orchestra on Sunday, but after the Ben Wyvis Trio, it suited me fine! 

  I always thought I would hate living on a farm, but it's not too bad, actually. J is as much at home milking a cow as dancing a tango! And she also acts as official interpreter around here. There are always Dutch holidaymakers passing, asking for directions, water, permission to camp, etc. She has visited Holland every year since she was 14, and speaks the language so well she has been taken for a native. She has a Dutch friend (she showed us her photo), who is called, approx., using French pronunciation, R, and who is coming here on Monday. R's sister, with husband, and brother, with fiancée, arrived here on Saturday by car, and stayed for lunch. In the morning we all (except Mme., who was cleaning, cooking, and glad to get rid of us) went to change the cows from one field to another. (I really must join the Young Farmers' Club next session!) In the afternoon we all ate cherries M. L had just picked from the tree in the garden. That's another thing here -- the fruit. Wild strawberries by the roadside for the picking!

  The weather wasn't particularly good for the first week, but it was better today and yesterday.

  As I said in my last letter, the house isn't as isolated as I feared. The snag is, you have to walk quite a bit before getting anywhere except a few farms, etc. Theux is bigger than I thought; I wouldn't call it a village at all. We went to Verviers on Tuesday I think it was, and it's about the size of Inverness. The shops are wonderful -- Woolworths with better quality and more space, and a bit of Alec. Cameron's thrown in. My money seems to be lasting out O.K., but don't be surprised if you don't get much of a present.

  There's still lots I could talk about, but it'll have to wait till I get back... Au revoir.

Exchange pupils were presented with an official guide to the country

... and advice on what to expect and how to behave.

(For many, including the writer of the above letter, it would have been their first time abroad).

The Lighter Side of Protest

Invited c.2010 to supply anecdotes about the 1960s, a former member of Aberdeen YCND came up with the short compilation of memories below. 

Individuals’ names have been replaced by YC1, YC2 etc. (for Young Comrade/ Young Campaigner).

Sometimes you just had to be there...

  

Singing on the bus going to a demo, to tune of ‘We Shall Overcome’: ‘Aibirdeen for the Cup – some day...’

YC1 selling anarchist newspaper, singing sotto voce ‘Oh Freedom over me..’ and adding ‘It was raining at the time...’

YC1 going in to Lodge Walk [police station] to be questioned by local CID about some incident: ‘If I’m not out in an hour, call the police.’

YC2 used to denounce British subservience to US policy, saying ‘’We are tied by the balls to America’. Once he was giving the  same speech to the Student Christian Movement at a joint meeting with Students’ CND and caught himself in mid-flow: ‘’We are tied to America by the -- strings of finance!’

A custom arose for a few people to stay over at a comrade’s house at the weekend when his mother was out. One week YC3 was stopped on the way by police and had to empty his pockets, which contained a toothbrush among other things.  ‘I always carry a toothbrush on Fridays,’ he explained (pause, dead-pan) ‘ - Religion.’

Sometimes irrelevant or absurd slogans were frivolously added to the serious ones in the interests of general confusion, such as ‘Restore the Stuart Monarchy’ among the anti-war messages, or SEX alongside SAW (Scots against War) – later rationalised for public consumption as Society for the Extermination of Xenophobia.

Student on a grant, faced with a fine to pay: ‘The state giveth and the state taketh away...’

The Press and Journal (or was it the Evening Express) did a write-up on YCND and the anarchist connection, which YC4 read out with great gusto substituting ‘Aibirdeen’s ‘YC5 and YC3’’ as the subject, in extracts like (adapting a quote from police)  ‘We are interested in all YC5 and YC3’s nocturnal activities...’

Flower power had a certain appeal c1967; there was even an attempt or two to put it into practice by presenting the forces of law and order with assorted specimens (‘Hae a floo’er’), possibly with the dubious (from a peace-and-love point of view) motive of annoying them more than anything.

The fashion for eastern mysticism had some echoes too, notably on a demonstration advertised as ‘Coulport-Come-All-Ye’ (1967? [1966]) which ended up with some desultory chanting of ‘mantras’ after a lot of fairly pointless wandering about the countryside. This episode was satirised in ‘Megaton: the [short-lived]’magazine of Aberdeen YCND’ under the heading ‘Om Sweet Om, or Coulport-Where-Were-Ye’… ’

We (YCND and anarchists) used to meet in the Trades Halls, Adelphi, off Union Street on a Sunday afternoon. One week a couple of lecturers from the university came along, apparently out of curiosity. They were surprised to find how youthful the gathering was, and one of them, a psychologist, offered us  [the anarchists] his cellar as an alternative meeting place (perhaps he wanted to observe us). We tried it but it didn’t really suit, although our standards weren’t high. At one point someone was investigating one of the holes in a wall, and someone else yelled ‘Dinna dae that, it’ll be all full of rats and mingin mice!’

YC5 wending his way homewards after a convivial evening in a student residence, flourishing a stick: ‘Death to lamp-posts!’ ‘Death to Corporation things on wheels!’

YC5 trying to persuade YC4, who was still adhering to the SLL [Socialist Labour League] at the time, to come along to a folk-song event: ‘We’ll sing “Trotsky was a good lad”!’

On the plinth

King Edward’s statue in Union Street was a favourite point for (small) demonstrations and vigils. YCND held a fund-raising fast there for War on Want over Christmas 1965. We wanted to pitch some sort of tent but this wasn’t allowed because it was ‘against the bye-laws to have an erection in the vicinity of King Edward’s statue.’ Later it was the scene of some puir daft Goons-meet-Situationist would-be ‘happenings’… 

YCND: When it was all kicking off in Aberdeen

(Extracts edited and expanded - it was a minimalist sort of diary - from diary entries by a 17-year-old first-year student at Aberdeen University in the mid 1960s)

CND-related Diary 1964-65: From a small student society to an active group in the town 

            Year                 Date                 Event/Note

"One should always have
something sensational to read..."

October    1964             Wed. 14th         CND Hop

November 1964             Fr. 2nd              Lumpentrot (Marxist Soc. hop)

November 1964             Thu. 19th           CND Meeting

November 1964             Mon. 30th         Anti-Apartheid Meeting 7.30

Feb.     1965                 Th. 4th              CND Meeting

March   1965                 Fr. 5th               Meeting that wasn't; leaflets; Vietnam; Apartheid debate

March   1965                 Sat. 6th             Vigil 3.30 - 5

April     1965                 Fr. 16th             CND bus from Aberdeen to start of Easter March

April     1965                 Sat.16th            Easter March: High Wycombe - Uxbridge, 19mls.

April     1965                 Sun.17th           Easter March: Uxbridge - Wembley - Ealing Common, 14mls.

April     1965                 Mon.17th           Easter March: Hammersmith - Hyde Pk. - Trafalgar Sq.

May      1965                 Sun. 2nd           May Day March, 2.30; CP: "A merry May Day, comrades."

May      1965                 Tue. 4th            Meeting of Students' CND with Students' Christian Movement

May      1965                 Sun. 9th            Afternoon with YS comrades

May      1965                 Mon. 10th          Press & Journal re. Cowdray Hall heckle & walk-out

May      1965                 Fr. 14th             "Helping the police with their enquiries." 

May      1965                 Tue. 18th           CND AGM

May      1965                 Thu. 20th           Leaflets. Oxford Union debate, majority of 27

May      1965                 Fr. 21st             Vietnam meeting 7.30

June     1965                 Sun. 6th 2.30     YCND in Trades Halls, Adelphi; folk-club; visitor from C100

June     1965                 Sun. 13th 2.30   YCND; folk-club, Martin Carthy

June     1965                 Mon. 14th         YCND bods in Falkland (Cafe) - also later mentions

June     1965                 Wed. 16th         mini-van; "working for the party in darkest Mastrick"

June     1965                 Sun. 20th          YCND, Civil Defence sub.cmte; folk-club

June     1965                 Mon. 21st         YCND at St. Mary's Youth Club

June     1965                 Wed.. 23rd        "St. Mary's Folk Song Clique"

June     1965                 (Fr.) 25th           Dundee stopover on way to Glasgow

June     1965                 Sat. 26th           FASLANE; Demonstrators fined at Dumbarton, 

Aberdeen student at Faslane in June 1965
(not the writer of this diary or blog)

June     1965                 30th                  Lobby of Parliament re. Vietnam

August  1965                 3rd                   Court cases in Dumbarton

August  1965                 6th                    HIROSHIMA 20th anniversary

August  1965                 Sun. 8th            "RSG"

August  1965                 Mon. 30th         Freedom: Scots Against War again

September 1965             Sat. 11th           PORTON; London

September 1965             Sun. 12th          London: Hyde Park; CUCaND* meeting, Housmans (Tariq Ali)

September 1965             Thu. 16th           London: Freedom Press

October    1965                 Fri. 1st              YCND, Falkland

October    1965                 Sat. 2nd            Students' Societies Morning. "Reception for Wilson at Dyce"

October    1965                 Tue. 12th           CND meeting

October    1965                 Fr. 22nd            Lumpentrot (Marxist Soc. hop)

*CUCaND = Colleges and Universities Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Looking back 45 years later, the diarist as above recalled "the mid-sixties Aberdeen YCND, a phenomenon worthy of being written up in its own right":
"Attracting 70 or 80 to meetings at its height, its activities included white-washing slogans on the streets, a money-raising fast for War on Want, raids on the nearest Civil Defence centre, leafleting at Edzell USAF base, a protest fast at Rosyth naval dockyard, producing 2 or 3 issues [more, actually] of a magazine, Megaton, and, for some of us, supporting local busmen and paperworkers' struggles and trying to sell Solidarity round high-rise council flats - not to mention organising sundry demos, late licences, folk-song sessions and weekends in the hills." 

For more on the group and what happened next see: 
https://lenathehyena.wordpress.com/tag/aberdeen-ycnd/

(includes another diary from 1965, by a 15-year-old schoolgirl)

           

           

            

Far-off Things and Demos Long Ago

Om Sweet Om

or, Coulport-where-were-ye?

            In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was OM...

            (On Sunday September 25th an omming raid was carried out by members of Scottish Y.C.N.D. at Glen Douglas. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said later that a move was afoot to fit anti-om devices at all military installations. A spokesman for the demonstrators, when asked to comment, said "OM".)

            And so it came to pass in the days of the prophet ERB that he led his disciples into an high mountain. And when they were come unto the place, there were certain of the disciples, filled with wrathful ire against the powers of darkness, who commenced to chant and shout with a loud voice. Polaris Out, they said, and Yanks Go Home; and the American guards and British policemen and Special Branch men and dogs and sheep wondered greatly. But the prophet was displeased with those who chanted, and concerned lest the polis and SB and guards and dogs and sheep might be affrighted by the fearsome sound. So he spake unto them saying, Nay, brethren, cease from your shouting, and let us instead intone the mantra OM, to soothe the savage breast and impress all who hear us with its profound significance.

            So they all intoned "OM" and "O MANE PAD ME OM", and it was all so profound and significant that they themselves did not comprehend the profundity and significance of it all. But the prophet TIM was greatly cheered up, and led his band of pilgrims down out of the mountain.

            A policeman was heard to remark, "Scram, SCRAM". And all the guards and security-men and dogs and sheep were not affrighted, but shook their heads at the strange events, and laughed with much hilarity saying, "What a bunch of idiots; we must be on the right side, verily." And the prophet and his followers returned to the Aberdeen bus, and went home, pleased with their new weapon.

SMOTH

Megaton, the magazine of Aberdeen YCND, vol.1, no.4, December 1966; p.10

Notes: 

• The demonstration was advertised as "Coulport Come All Ye!"
• SCRAM = Scottish Campaign for Resistance Against Militarism (a nebulous, possibly non-existent organisation). There may be some continuity with the later Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace.
• Incipient "flower power", hippiedom and dabblings in eastern mysticism were (temporarily) in the ascendant among the youth around this time.
• The text has been tweaked slightly in the interests (mostly) of clarification.
• Initials ascribed to the "prophet" have been changed in the interests of obfuscation. No allusion to anyone called Herbert is intended.
• Images of several issues of "Megaton" can be found elsewhere on line.

The “Smoth” name came in this instance from a newspaper misprint, “The woman, Smoth…”, which was happily adopted. [Extra note for fans of radio comedy (you know who you are): This considerably predates The Burkiss Way.]

Demonstrations, many no doubt more effective, continued to be organised at the site.  

 "Coulport is a Royal Naval Armament Depot and is situated seven miles from Faslane Naval Base, which is home to the UK's Trident nuclear weapons system.

Both bases have been subject to regular anti-nuclear protests." - BBC, July 2006

Aberdeen YCND "Happening"
at King Edward's Statue, Union St.  

More on 2012 anniversaries: 3. The British state versus anti-nuclear demonstrators in 1962

The OSA (Official Secrets Act) Trial of 1962: Some gleanings from the files

The British state had secured convictions on a charge of conspiracy against four Committee of 100 activists, for organising a demonstration at Wethersfield airbase. Sentences of imprisonment were handed down after a much publicised, patently politically motivated and blatantly unfair ‘show trial with the Attorney-General leading for the prosecution.’.  Reference: ‘The road to Wormwood Scrubs’, chapter 1 in Michael Randle and Pat Pottle, The Blake Escape: How We Freed George Blake and Why, Sphere Books, 1990, pp. 1-18. See also Peter Hain, Political Trials in Britain. Penguin 1985.

National Archives:  HO 291/63  Inadequacy or severity of sentences: Nuclear demonstrators.  [When accessed, this turned out to be a collection of 4 files bound together, under the one reference number]

[Notes from top file as above; the others related to earlier demos and arrests. Comments are those of the file, except when in square brackets]: -

Early Day Motion re. prerogative of mercy, Shinwell et al., 53 signatories. Leader of House declined to find time. Representations from Mrs Joyce Butler re. Helen Allegranza: no grounds for intervention found; no trouble since then as far as this prisoner is concerned.

28-6-62  Recent disturbances outside US air base at Greenham Common.  If prisoners were willing to abstain from illegal action in future, might be right to consider clemency, but no indication that this is the case; question of treatment in prison being pursued separately. House of Lords: Judges unanimous that offence had been proved. A number emphasised sincere motives of prisoners. No fresh grounds on which interference could properly be recommended.

1-7-62  Deputation. Shinwell, Greenwood, Brockway, Butler, Hart. Sir Charles Cunningham,

17/7: Clearly wrong that they should be treated differently; to do so would lend colour to claim that they are in prison for political reasons and form a special category; 4 [2?] of the men already in open prison on application of ordinary rules; Randle and Allegranza are difficult prisoners and it looks as though they would not behave themselves in open conditions.

Times 13-7-62, Law Report for 12/7: "Unconstitutional doctrine" (Devlin) put forward by Attorney General that once it was proved intention was to interfere with a prohibited place Judge should be entitled to direct jury to return Guilty verdict. Question whether nuclear weapons are in country's interests dependent on an infinity of considerations.

4-7-62 Note of Deputations. They referred once more to the "hunger strike" of Mrs Allegranza. 

28/6 Briefing: In early May, Mrs Allegranza was "fasting" as a protest against the resumption by the US govt of nuclear tests and also withdrew her labour; awarded certain punishments by Governor and later by Visiting Cmte.; ended fast on 9th May, no further trouble. [See below]

Re. Greenham Common, interesting note (Times) that C100 had given pledge no attempt would be made to enter base, which may suggest that the "OSA trial" has had salutary effect. Fines, temp courtroom in Newbury; 196 arrests, 4 remanded in custody inc 18-year-old girl who would not give name; 1 Not Guilty; fines £2-£5 + costs / 3gns. [= £3.15p] for obstruction.  If this is raised, offences are not comparable. Trafalgar Sq. meeting planned for 7/7 re demo outside Air ministry on 9/9: to organise breaches of law, so cannot be allowed.  ["Raymond" Chandler on draft, uncorrected]. 

Press reports {on same file]: Guardian, Times.  13/2-21/2: Purpose of action; solidarity, self incrimination (Russell, Redgrave) witnesses Pauling, Watson-Watt, Dr J F King; Air Commodore. Wethersfield demonstrators planning to give themselves up to police on guilty verdict.

PCOM 9/2208 ALLEGRANZA, Helen: member of the `Committee of 100'; at Central Criminal Court (CCC) on 30 January 1962 convicted of conspiracy to commit breach of Official Secrets Act; sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment; died [whilst in after] confinement.  1962-1963

This file reveals the treatment in prison of the only female defendant, and her repeated clashes with the authorities, as well as detailing unsuccessful appeals made on her behalf. Knowledge of the level of support may not have been clear to her as letters to her were withheld  The description (when last seen) incorrectly states that she died in custody; in fact she committed suicide not long after her release.

Scan of covers of a contemporary pamphlet:

Update:
See also chapter in Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories: From Lady Chatterley's Lover to Howard Marks - by Thomas Grant (John Murray, 2015; 2016 pbk.)