When the Scottish steamer "Highlander" steamed into port on Friday, August 2, the wreckage of a Heinkel was draped over her stern. Here is the story of how her crew shot down this and another German bomber with their Lewis gun as they told it to W. A. Nicholson, of the "Daily Mail." 1940


At midnight on Thursday August 1st the "Highlander" was steaming along off the north-east coast of Scotland when the drone of a plane was heard. Captain W. Gifford and the rest of the crew peered into the darkness trying to guess whether it was friend or foe. They did not have to wait long. As the plane roared overhead machine-gun bullets spattered on the decks around them, and jets of spray spurted up from the sea where aerial torpedoes had fallen.
Standing by the "Highlander's" Lewis gun were George Anderson, of Leith, and Laurie Halcrow, a young Shetlander. They were joined by Bert Whyman, a seaman from Southampton, and William Birnie, another Shetlander. The raider swooped twice across the ship, coming lower and lower, but Anderson held his fire. Describing what happened, he said:
The plane was flying low over us and for a time I could not see it because of the superstructure of the boat. So I aimed at where I thought the plane would be ....

George Anderson, of the "Highlander," who, with his shipmate A. Whyman, was awarded the medal of the O.B.E. for shooting down two German bombers. Others of the crew were commended.


I let go everything I had. What luck! As I pressed the trigger the black shape of the machine came right into the sight, and I kept pumping lead into it as fast as I could.
It lurched in the sky over the ship about 30 ft. away, and then crashed. We dodged to escape it as it fell.
One wing caught the side of the bridge, tearing away some of the railings and smashing the lifeboat. The other wing fell over the deck on which we were standing, and smashed the railings and the wheel of one of the derricks.
There was a terrific din, but above it we could hear the cries of the German crew.
The body of the machine then broke away from the wings, and, bursting into flames, crashed into the sea. The crew had no chance of escape.

Having brought down two German raiders in tweenty minutes, the 1,216 ton "Highlander," salled proudly home with the wreckage of one Heinkel perched on her poop. Here the debris is being removed. The ship's master, Capt W Gifford, was given the O.B.E.


Then a second Heinkel appeared and dived to the attack.
Laurie Halcrow, who lost his brother through enemy action at sea six weeks ago clutched Anderson's arm and shouted:
Give me a go, George. I'll give them what they gave my brother!
Like Anderson, young Halcrow waited his chance as the raider swooped to drop an aerial torpedo and machine-gun the decks. As he said:
He came closer and closer and as he got really near I let him have it. I must have scored a direct hit for the raider crashed straight into the sea.
Captain Gifford summed up by saying:
It was a grand night's work. Two or three of the men were slightly wounded, but Anderson was luckiest of all. One bullet struck his steel helmet and another flew so close to his nose that it scratched his upper lip!

("Daily Mail" 1940)