Sir Winston Churchill hailed the work done at Fairlie’s Fife boatyard during the Second World War as playing a major part in turning the tide against the Germans.

The British Prime Minister praised the work done at the Fairlie Anti-Submarine experimental establishment, which had taken over the village boatyard, between 1940-1946. The Royal Navy Anti-submarine research establishment was forced to move from its base at Portland in Dorset, to Fairlie in November 1940, because of its close proximity to The Battle of Britain.

And after the war was over, the village of Fairlie gave the men and women from the base, returning south, an explosive send-off by waving to them as their train passed through the village, with detonators exploding from the rail tracks, like fireworks.

Village historian John Riddell said: “The anti-submarine based in Portland was bombed so the admiralty thought with the vulnerability of the south coast of England that they would transfer the operation to Fairlie.

“Fife yard was closed by that time as the government had stopped all boatbuilding.

“Winston Churchill, when writing the history of WW2, described what went on at Fairlie as one of the major contributions to the war effort.” Base super-intendent John Anderson, O.B.E, said at the Victory Dinner, in the Mackay Rooms (now Lounge) that on leaving Largs he wanted to express to the people of the town his thanks for all the help and hospitality given during the war to the strangers in their midst.

The ‘News’ reported on the special occasion run by Largs Business Club in March 1946: “Some would wonder if the work at the establishment has proved worthwhile. He could assure them that it was worthwhile, and in their anti-submarine defences they had given a good deal of apparatus to the Americans, the French and the Russians as a result of the developments at Fairlie and Portland.

As a result of their work they had finished on top of the U-boat, and confirmation of this was found in a report made by the Admiral Dentez before the end of the war and found in Germany by our intelligence men.

Continuing, Mr Anderson said a lot of people had been shattered by the advent of the Atom Bomb. To his mind it was only another deadly weapon, and some had had to initiate it, but it was better to have happened at the end of the war than the beginning of a new one.” The Fairlie anti-submarine experimental unit had taken over the use of the Fife Boatyard, and was designated to design a multiple depth charge mortar, in combination with artillery manufacturers Vickers-Armstrong.

And the research base played a part in developing the ‘Fairlie Mortar’, and went on to have a highly influential role in providing detonators and artillery for use in sub warfare.

The Fairlie base was a leading light at the evolution of depth charges, which were designed to be thrown in front of the destroyers, giving the enemy less time to manoeuvre.

John Riddell explained: “One of the things they did in the past concerned if you were hunting subs, you dropped depth charges, and they rolled over the stern, but the clever submarine captains knew that and managed to get out of the way of the gap, and by the time the depth charges were dropped, the sub wasn’t there anymore. They deevloped depth charges to fall in front of the destroyer, and the Fairlie Mortar initially started this process, and subsequently it became known as the Squid, as it continued later in the war.” Village historian Frank Donnachie, 78, recalled: “The base at Fife Boatyard experimented with depth charges, and it was kept very secret. It was wired off and had security guards, but many people in the local area including Largs and Fairlie, were involved.

“My cousin married one of the scientists who worked there, and my father James, mother Elizabeth, and sister Rebecca all worked there, and I still have some of the wooden tool-boxes from the base.” “It was based where the new houses are now on Bay Street.

“One of the boats used was an HMS Kingfisher, and during one of the exercises, there was an incident in which some men lost their lives, and there is a plaque on the wall of the Fairlie Church in dedication to them.” One week after the Victory Dinner, the Largs and Millport News reported on the anti-submarine experts returning home to Portland.

A report appeared which stated: “A special train from Largs steamed into Melcombe Regis Station in the small hours of the morning, bringing scientists, technicians, and in fact, all the personnel of the establishment who were transferred to Scotland when the Battle of Britain was opening over Portland in 1940. With wives and families the total number was over 300.

“For some the trip to the sunny south will mean disappointment. Owing to the desperate housing situation in Weymouth and Portland, many have no homes to go into, and will have to be content with temporary billets.” Donald S.Herbert, of Weymouth, was one of the experimental assistants. He said: “We left the Arran hills behind us when we steamed out of Largs at 3.10pm. When we got to Fairlie, where the Anti Submarine experimental base in Fairlie, they gave us a tremendous welcome.

“The whole village seemed to be on the little platform; the school children were there with flags, and the put detonators on the line.

Some of the scenes were affecting and sentimental, for it must be remembered that many of the personnel had married into Scottish families, and there were also technicians who were leaving sweethearts behind.”