History Eachdraidh

[Tony Kearney - Preseantair] ‘I’ airson facal nach eil cho math, ach gu math bitheanta san tìr. ‘I’ airson ionnsaigh agus na chunnaic ar dùthaich. Bhon a thàinig na Gàidheil a-nall à Èireann, on a thàinig na Lochlannaich fhiadhaich a thoirt ionnsaigh orra-san. Na Goill bho dheas. On a rinn am measgachadh aon treubh dhiubh fhèin ‘s cha thionndaidh iad ri toirt ionnsaighean thall-thairis. An robh àm, tro na linntean, anns nach robh cuideigin trang a’ cur faobhar air lannsa? Agus ceist eile, càite am biodh gaisgich gun ionnsaighean? Chì sinn.

[Duine] Cha robh sinn a’ faighinn nuair a tha thu a-muigh ach a’ dol ann. Airson cigarettes, chan robh sinn a’ faighinn cus, bha sinn a’ faighinn leth-cheud còmhla ris a’ pharsail Red Cross. Co-dhiù, bho dheireadh, an tuathanach a’ cur a thombaca fhèin. Agus bheir mi tòrr planntraisean dhen sin dhachaigh leinn agus gan cur timcheall a’ champa againne. Agus bha mi a’ dèanamh cigars leotha . Chaidh iad air duilleag slàn air taobh a-muigh bho cha mhòr dè na chuireas tu na dè bha na preas a’ roiligeadh suas. Aon latha a chaidh mi a-mach ‘s bha cigar agam leiste , bha daoine on iar a’ faighneachd cà’ an d’ fhuair mi seo. Oh, chuir Churchill thugam i. Churchill a’ cur thugam i. cha mhòr nach dh’ fhuair mi butt rifle nam amhaich.

[Màrtainn Dòmhnallach] ‘S bha iad an-còmhnaidh ri innleachd airson naidheachdan fhaotainn.

[Duine] Cha do lorg iad rèidio Breatannach riamh. Bhiodh an Gestapo a’ tighinn a-staigh agus bhiodh agam ri fhaighinn agus bhitheamaid a’ faighinn ordain “feuch an goid thu a h-uile dad a bhios aca”. ‘S cha do ghoid mise ach an aon rud riamh nam mo bheatha, ‘s gun robh an screwdriver Gestapo. Is goid mi e. IS bha mi uabhasach moiteil gun do ghoid mi e.

[Iain Moireasdan] Tha mi a’ smaoineacheadh gu bheil na Gàidheil agus Roinn na Gàidhlig air a bhith uabhasach math air prògraman mar sin a dhèanamh. Agus ‘s dòcha gur e an cunnart gun robh sinn ro mhath orra agus gun robh sinn ro dhualtach a bhith a’ coimhead air ais. Ach aig a’ cheart àm, tha e uabhasach cudromach na daoine sin a chlàradh mus falbh iad. Agus daoine an lùib a’ Chiad Chogaidh. Cha mhòr gu bheil mòran dhiubh sin air fhàgail.

[Am Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Tha dìleab an dàrna Cogaidh fhathast follaiseach ann am Baile Cassino. Ann am meadhan a’ bhaile, tha tank ann a dh’ fhàg na h-Ameireaganaich às an dèidh. ‘S e an t-inneal seo an rud as aosta a tha ri fhaicinn. Oir cha deach aon òirleach den bhaile fhàgail na sheasamh.

[Kirsteen NicDhòmhnaill] ‘S e deagh oideachadh a tha sin dha na ginealaichean ùra cuideachd, prògraman cogaidh agus mar sin, tha mi a’ smaointinn gu bheil iad cudromach anns an t-seagh sin a bhith ag oideachadh dhaoine agus a bhith ag innse do dhaoine mu dheidhinn dualchas agus a bhith ag innse do dhaoine mun Ghàidhlig agus, fhios agad, na h-eileamaidean a tha an lùib prògraman cogaidh agus rudan mar sin cuideachd.

[Duine] Chaidh uiread de shaighdearan bochda a bhàthadh, chan ann air am marbhadh ach gam bàthadh an acfhainn a bh’ orra, bha e cho trom agus bha iad air an dropadh turas fad a-mach air a’ chladach agus bha na daoine bochda, bha iad air am bàthadh. Siud mar a thuigeas tu dè th’ ann an cogadh.

[Duine] Tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gum fàs thu suas ri rud sam bith. Tha thu air do chruthachadh airson iomadach rud. Agus mar a chanas iad anns a’ Bheurla ‘it’s no going to happen to me’. Nam biodh tu a’ smaoineachadh gun robh e a’ dol a thachairt dhut, chan eil mise a’ dèanamh dheth gum biodh tu ceart nad eanchainn.

[Duine] Bristidh e mo chridhe ma dh’ fhaobh m’ oghaichean a’ dol air ais. Na h-oghaichean agamsa a-nis aig an aois deiseil airson a’ chogaidh. Bristidh e mo chridhe gam faicinn a’ dol ann.

[Duine] Nuair a chuir mi seachad co-latha-breith agam aig naoi bliadhna deug ann am Fort George agus fichead bliadhna ann an Anzio Beachhead. Agus aon thar fhichead anns a’ phrìosan anns a’ Ghearmailt.

[Duine] Chaidh mi air ais aon uair. Gu sealladh Dhia. Na tha siud de chladhan aig bonn na beinne ann am Beinne Cassino. Às gach àite den t-saoghal.

Chaidh am prògram seo, A gu U - Am faca tu?, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2008.

[Tony Kearney - Preseantair] ‘I’ for a word that is not so good, although there is plenty of it on the land. ‘I’ is for attack and what our country has seen. Since the Gaels came from Ireland, since the wild Vikings attacked them. The Lowlanders from the south. Since one tribe roused themselves and didn’t retreat from attacks abroad. Was there ever a time, through the ages, when somebody was not busy with the edge of a blade? And another question, where would heroes be without attacks? We’ll see.

[Man] We didn’t get much when we were out. For cigarettes, we did not get much, we just got fifty with the Red Cross parcel. Anyway, in the end, a farmer was planting his own tobacco. And I took many plants home with me and I planted them around our camp. And I made cigars with them. They went in a whole leaf. They went with whatever your pressed and rolled them up with. One day I went out with a lit cigarette, a man from the west asked me where I got it. Oh Churchill sent it to me, Churchill gave it to me. I almost ended up with a butt of a rifle in my throat.

[Martin MacDonald] And they were always at devices to get news.

[Man] They never found a British radio. The Gestapo would come in and I would have to get it and I would get orders “try and steal everything that they have”. And I only stole one thing in my life, that was a Gestapo screwdriver. And I stole it. And I was awful proud that I stole it.

[John Morrison] I think that the Gaels and the Gaelic department have been awfully good at making programmes like that. And maybe the danger is that we were too good at them, and we were too accustomed in looking back. But at the same time, it is awfully important to record those people before they go. And people who were involved in the First World War. I don’t think there are many of them left.

[Brigadier John MacFarlane] The legacy of the Second World War is still clear in the town of Cassino. In the middle of the town, there is a tank which was left by the Americans after they left. This machine is the oldest thing that you can see. As not one inch of the town has been left standing.

[Kirsteen MacDonald] It’s a good lesson to the young generations too, war programmes and that, I think that they are important in that way teaching people and telling people about culture and telling people about Gaelic and, you know, the elements that are in war programmes and things like that too.

[Man] Many poor soldiers were drowned, they were not killed but drowned with the equipment they had, it was so heavy and they were dropped a long way from the shore and the poor men, they were drowned. That’s how you understand what war is.

[Man] I understand that you’ll put up with anything. You are created for anything. And as they say in English ‘it’s no’ going to happen to me’. If you thought that it was going to happen to you, I don’t think you would be right in your mind.

[Man] It would break my heart if my grandsons went. My grandson are at that age that they are ready for war. It would beak my heart to see them go.

[Man] When I spent my nineteenth birthday in Fort George and twentieth in Anzio Beachhead. And my twenty first in a prison in Germany.

[Man] I went back one time. Let God watch over. The graveyards at the bottom of the mountain in Monte Cassino. From every place in the world.

This programme, A gu U - Am faca tu?, was first broadcast in 2008.