History of Grangemouth
Historic Dates in History AD 1930 - 1951

Launch of "John Williams", - Missionary schooner, the last sailing ship to be built at Grangemouth.

Boy's Pipe Band win the Glasgow News Shield and Urquart Trophy at Cowal Games.

Air Pageant at Earls Gates.

Sacred Heart school reopened after reconstruction.

1931
Steamer "Arniston" crushed by ice and sank off Latvia.

2nd Deep Water Oil Jetty opened.

Strike at Scottish Dyes 5/9 June.

Air Pageant at Reddoch Farm.

Census, population - 11,189.

Cpt C.D. Barnard's Air Circus at Reddoch Farm - Grangemouth a possible site for Airport?

1932
Strike at Dyes, 9/14 March.

Scottish Oils scheme to deal with obnoxious smells.

Olympic hero Eric Liddle addresses missionary meeting at Dundas Church.

Boys Pipe Bank win 3 prizes at Cowal.

Sir Alan Cobham#s Aviation Display at Wester Mains Farm.

1933
Muirheads Pipe Band win Mitchell Trophy at Alloa and Falkirk Championship.

Steam lorry crashes through Dalgrain Canal Bridge.

Recreation Clubs opened at Dyes and Oils.

1934
Stirlingshire Ploughing Match held at Dalgrain Farm.

New "PEY BRIG" and Dalgrain canal bridge opened.

1935
8 Members of High School Choir take part in a Royal Command performance at the Albert Hall in London and win a trophy at the Edinburgh Musical Festival.

Muriheads Pipe Band win 3 trophies at Cowal.

1936
Pub licenses hours extended to 9.30pm May - September.

333 names on the waiting list for Council houses.

Electric light to be installed in all new houses.

1937
Bus Strike lasted from 9 to 20 March.

Coronation of King George VI, thousands watch Fireworks, children get free Cinema tickets and old folk 2/6.

1938
St Mary's Episcopal Church opened in Ronaldshay Crescent.

New swing bridge opened at Junction Dock.

64 A.R.P. Wardens receive their badges of office and Gas Masks were distributed to residents.

1939
550 acres from 6 farms taken over and work begins to build Central Scotland Airfield on 6th February and the airport was opened on 3rd May and the R.A.F. moved in.   1st July, official Opening by Vice Air Marshall Viscount Trenchard and a K.L.M. Dutch Airline Dakota. On 3rd the first passenger flight took off for Croydon (London) £9-10/- return.

3rd September War declared.

16th J.Jamieson survives sinking of "Olivegrove", U boat Commander ordered the crew into boats before sinking the ship; they were picked up by S.S. Washington and landed in Ireland.

2 Grangemouth men lost in the sinking of the "Melrose" and another 2 lost on the "Bowling". Lieut. I.W. Mcdonald Gill lost when H.M.S. Exmouth sunk by enemy action.

1940
Ivor Novello, Alistair Sim, Tommy Morgan and the 4 Smith Brothers are among the show-biz stars who entertain local Forces.

James Hamilton and John Flannigan are rescued by "Clan McBean" after 5 days adrift in an open boat in the Atlantic, when "S.S. Brookwood" was sunk by a U boat.  They were welcomed aboard by Alec McKey of Grangemouth, dropped off in Freetown, West Africa and brought back to Blighty on the Gloucester Castle.

1941
Enrolment Meeting for formation of No. 1333 (Grangemouth) Squadron of the Air Training Corps.

Grangemouth Home Guard win Championship Shield for the East Stirlingshire Regiment Sports at Ochilview, Stenhousemuir.

2 £100 notes found in the bar of the Queen's Hotel claimed by their owner.

Civic reception for representatives of our Russian Allies.

1942
Lance Bombadier James Alan Davie received the Guthrie Award for the best picture by a young Scottish artist in an exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Flight Sergeant A.S.W. Jack sole survivor of crash in which the Duke of Kent was killed.

Grangemouth people give £140,011 - 13/6 to Warship Week Appeal.

1943
8 year old Andrew Smart Russell rescues a W.A.A.F. from canal.

Moira Stewart of the High School, Cookery Champion (Higher Grade) for Stirlingshire.

1944
L/Sgt. Munro, G.Palmer, D.Duncanson, A.Kemp, G.Robertson, R.Shillinglaw, J.Kerr, S.Aikman, W.Cairns, R.Drysdale, W.Cummings, J.Burnett and C.Dobbie honoured for War Services.

Spr W.Lawless met the Pope in Rome.

Grangemouth became a "Regulated" area; you needed a pass to enter the town.

Council in great trouble, they wanted to ban dogs from Council houses.

1945
A.Robertson, J.A.Balfour, R.McIlwraith, J.Scaife, J.W.Samson, A.Murray, A.M.Drysdale, Jean Tennant, D.Wilson, Jessie Hunter, E.Graham, A.MGarva, G.Furby, J.Sloan, D.Laidlaw, A.Stevenson honoured for War Services.

The Home Guard were stood down, May and August Celebrations to mark the end of the war in Germany and Japan.

Mrs A.Leslie becomes the first woman Councillor of Grangemouth.

Over 1 million tons of cargo passed through the docks.

1946
J.Japp, F.R.Stott, and C.Pow in the Honours List.
The King and Queen and 2 Princesses visit town and Princess Elizabeth says "Galloways's Shortbread the best she has ever tasted".

Squatters settle on aerodrome.

Ben Henderson (Barber) awarded the Scout Medal of Honour.

A Regional Planning Report proposes to close the Canal.

1947
Worst Blizzards in living memory 7ft of snow in Beancross Road.

P.A.Owens awarded B.E.M. for minesweeping service in war.

King Haakon of Norway presents Group Capt. G.Denholm with Freedom Cross of Norway for war service.

Dr. W.B.Peutherer appointed Manager of Scottish Oils.

Aerodrome to become flying school for R.A.F.V.R. and Glider training to be given to cadets.

The first import of coal since 1926 arrived from Poland.

Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. and Distillers Co. (D.C.L.) formed a joint partnership, British Petroleum Chemicals.

1948
Fuel crisis over; the first export of coal leaves the docks for Lisbon.

Licence granted to new hotel "Lea Park".

Local brownies and guides meet Lady Baden Powell.

Malcolm McPherson beats Col. Forbes of Callendar House to become our new M.P.

1949
10 million dollars to be spent on new machinery for British Petroleum Chemicals under construction on a 100 acre site next to the Refinery. Wimpy were the main contractors some workers said the name was an acronym for... "We injure More People Every Year".  The people of Bo'ness would agree.

I.C.I. to double the size of their workforce.

1950
Murihead's Pipe Band 1st. equal at Glasgow Highland Gathering.

Local boys and girls win the Kinnaird County Sports Trophy for the second year in a row.

Plans for a Dog-race Track on the aerodrome turned down; while plans are considered for a car racing circuit.

1951
Over 270 plumbers strike at Refinery.

Murihead's Pipe Band runners-up in World Championship at Murrayfield.

Veterans of 1914/18 War entertained by veterans of 1939/45 at the British Legion.

B.P.C. start operations.

Part of airfield to be released for building purposes; 2,000 people on Housing List.

We'd like to thank Grangemouth Heritage Trust for supplying the above information.