The Second World War Comes to Queensferry has been developed in partnership with the Queensferry History Group and reveals how the community experienced the upheaval of war.
Queensferry occupied a strategically important position during the Second World War because of its proximity to the Firth of Forth, the naval base at Port Edgar and the iconic Forth Bridge. Local residents lived with the constant awareness that Scotland’s east coast played a crucial role in Britain’s wartime defence and witnessed the first Luftwaffe attack over Britain.
Through a local perspective, the exhibition examines the conflict through the eyes of ordinary people living in and around Queensferry.
Many of the photographs, stories and research featured in the exhibition come directly from community collections and local investigations carried out by the Queensferry History Group, helping to preserve memories that might otherwise have been lost.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said:
The Queensferry History Group has created an invaluable record of the town’s past, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with them to bring this exhibition to life.
By working closely with local people to shape how we present and interpret history, exhibitions like this help to uncover personal stories, family memories, and community perspectives, making the past more meaningful, engaging and accessible for visitors of all ages.
I hope visitors will take the opportunity to visit the exhibition and discover a deeper understanding on the events that have shaped our shared heritage.
A spokesperson from the Queensferry History Group said:
Queensferry History Group, a volunteer research group, has been meeting for almost 40 years, through the years, seeing varying faces and places but ultimately bringing the History of Queensferry to the local and wider community. This recent project is to commemorate the men who fought and died for Queensferry during World War Two, to bring their stories to life and to introduce some who fought and returned home.
We researched the war history of the men and the battles they fought in. We searched through earlier transcripts of interviews with community members recorded some years ago. They contained stories of people’s personal experiences, witnessing the first air attack of the War, in Britain, which was on ships in the Forth. How the children felt being sent away from their families as evacuees, how people coped with rationing and many more effects on the community back then. We are proud to bring this exhibition to our community now.
The Second World War Comes to Queensferry is on display at the Queensferry Museum, which offers spectacular views across the Firth of Forth, until 30 April 2027.
For further information, visit the Culture Edinburgh website.