Marion Patterson
Marion Patterson was born in Aberdeen in 1911 and emigrated to Canada at the age of 8 with her parents, Mr & Mrs Chalmers. In Toronto, Canada on August 16th 1930 she married fellow-Scot Guthrie Patterson (called Pat for short by Marion) who was a native of Dundee and who enlisted in the RAF as a mechanic shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Guthrie was born in Dundee on 29th January 1902. The couple had one son, Douglas, who was born October 8th 1932 in Toronto.
Marion and her family returned to her native city in August 1939 but war broke out in September. Guthrie served in the RAF from October 26th 1939 until his release on October 23rd 1945 as a Sergeant Class A. His units included AACU (Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit) in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and RAF Lyneham. Marion considered returning to Canada but decided to stay when Guthrie joined the RAF. Marion and Douglas stayed with her aunt Annie Rothnie, who had remarried William Bremner, known as Bill, at 6 Jackson Terrace. She opened her own hairdressing salon which was situated near the corner of Gallowgate and Upperkirkgate
Marion and her aunt joined the Order fo the eastern Star and became lifeling members. She belonged to the White Shrine and was Queen in this Order for two years. She also became Prelate in the Order fo the Ameranth for a number of years. The Orders were devoted to doign good, Marion enjoyed the social functions and having an opportunity to dress nicely for these, it was a welcome distraction from the war.
Marion became lonely and bored with her husband away and Douglas at school. She enlisted as an ambulance driver and was stationed close to Jackson Terrace. She acquired a car and gave it to be used as a sitting case car, that was used to transport people with minor injuries. This meant she could get some petrol coupons so she could use the car occasionally when needed, petrol was tightly rationed. She attended classes when not on duty to become mroe proficient in her work. To conserve petrol the motors were not turned over often, and so when there was a real emergency they had to comandeer cars and trucks from the streets to take the dead to the morgues and the wounded to the hospitals. Following the attack on the Hall Russel shipyards on 12th July 1940 (38 died) the motors were turned over regularly and the crew were ready round the clock as it was clear Aberdeen was a target for the German forces.
She also played her own part in the war effort in her capacity as a Civil Service Senior Fireguard and it was while performing that role that she won the recently-introduced George Medal, the second highest civilian award for bravery.
Marion gained the George Medal for her outstanding courage, initiative and selfless devotion to duty during a Luftwaffe bombing-raid on the Aberdeen harbour area on 7th August 1942. While on duty in South Market Street she entered a building on which one of the enemy aircraft had scored a direct hit and which was in imminent danger of collapse.
After extinguishing a small fire she crawled through a gap in the wreckage to rescue a Royal Navy serviceman whose legs were pinned by a heavy beam. Though small and slight in build she succeed in moving the beam sufficiently to allow her to drag the casualty to safety - seconds before the tottering structure collapsed killing three other rescue workers.
The casualty made a good recovery and was soon able to return to his ship. Tragically, however, during his first week back at sea the ship was torpedoed with total loss of life. "Sometimes", commented Marion on hearing the news, "you wonder what it was all for".
Marion Patterson returned home to Canada in 1944 to a civic reception in Toronto and an emotional reunion with her son. Thereafter she revisited Aberdeen on several occasions, the last in 1985.
