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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Unteroffizier Heinz Josaf, am ball dhen Luftwaffe a leum às an itealan aige le paraisiut anns an Dùbhlachd naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a ceithir (1944). Thàinig e sìos faisg air a’ chladach anns an Loch Bheag, deas air Loch a’ Bhraoin ann an Ros an Iar.

Bha Heinz leis fhèin. Bha an còrr dhen chriutha marbh. Bha fios aig Heinz gun robh aige ri gèilleadh ri cuideigin. Ach, far an robh e – air Rubha Sgoraig – cha robh solas-taighe ri fhaicinn.Ìý

Chaidh e timcheall airson grunn uairean a thìde mus do lorg e taigh-croite. Bha boireannach agus a dithis nighean a-staigh. Ghnog an Gearmailteach an doras. Tha cuimhne aig tè de na nigheanan gun deach i don doras agus gun robh fear àrd na sheasamh an sin. Bha a làmhan os a chionn agus bha gunna-làimhe aige ann an tè dhiubh.

Ghabh an nighean an gunna bhuaithe agus dh’iarr i air a dhol a-steach. Thug iad biadh is aodach dha. An uair sin, chaidh tè de na nigheanan don nàbaidh a b’ fhaisge. Dh’iarr i air innse do na h-ùghdarrasan gun robh saighdear-adhair Gearmailteach a-staigh aca. B’ fheudar dha dhol tarsainn an Locha Bhig ann an eathar airson bogsa-fòn a ruigsinn.

Bha grunn chànanan aig Heinz ach cha robh a’ Bheurla nam measg. Bha an nighean air Laideann ionnsachadh san sgoil agus mar sin dh’fheuch i Laideann air. Bha an Gearmailteach cuideachd air Laideann ionnsachadh. Bha còmhradh eatarra ann am measgachadh de Laideann agus cainnt-shanais no sign language.Ìý

Taobh a-staigh grunn uairean a thìde bha soitheach aig a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail air Sgoraig a ruigsinn. Bha oifigear-poilis agus saighdearan armaichte air bòrd airson am prìosanach a thoirt air falbh. Ach bha an aimsir sgriosail agus b’ fheudar dhaibh feitheamh greis mus do dh’fhalbh iad. Bha an fhairge cho garbh ’s gun tuirt am poileas nach robh e airson a bhith ann am bàta a-rithist airson a’ chòrr de a bheatha!

Chaidh mì-fheum a dhèanamh, bho àm gu àm, de stuth-spreadhaidh thar bliadhnaichean a’ chogaidh ann an sgìre Loch Iubh. A bharrachd air luingeas, bha saighdearan air an trèanadh ann am Poll Iubh aig ceann an locha. Bha sin ann an ionad ris an cainte ‘The Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre’. Thòisich an t-ionad ann an Gleann Feithisidh anns a’ Mhonadh Ruadh ach ghluais e a Pholl Iubh anns a’ gheamhradh ann an naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a trì (1943). Bha saighdearan a’ faighinn trèanadh ann an sgilean a’ bhlàir a-muigh fo stiùir a’ Mhorair Rowallan.

Dh’fheuch saighdear a bha seo ri bradain a ghlacadh le bhith a’ tilgeil greinèad a-steach a dh’Abhainn Iubh. Bha spreadhadh mòr ann. Gu mì-fhortanach, bha am Morair Rowallan faisg air làimh agus cha robh e toilichte!

Turas eile thug seòladairean cuireadh do bhoireannaich dhol air an HMS Bermuda ann an Loch Iubh. ‘Ciamar a tha an gunna seo ag obair?’ dh’fhaighnich tè de na boireannaich. Tharraing seòladair air an lainneard ach bha slige anns a’ ghunna. Chaidh i mu dhà mhìle agus thàinig i sìos faisg air taigh, a’ marbhadh muc agus a h-uirceanan agus a’ cur leanabh a-mach às a’ phram aige. Gu fortanach cha robh an leanabh air a ghoirteachadh.Ìý

Faclan na Litreach: taigh-croite: a crofthouse; a dithis nighean: her two daughters; bhuaithe: from him; cainnt-shanais: sign language; Poll Iubh: Poolewe; Gleann Feithisidh: Glenfeshie.

Abairtean na Litreach: anns an Loch Bheag, deas air Loch a’ Bhraoin ann an Ros an Iar: in Little Loch Broom, south of Loch Broom in Wester Ross; bha an còrr dhen chriutha marbh: the rest of the crew were dead; cha robh solas-taighe ri fhaicinn: there was no house light to be seen; bha a làmhan os a chionn: his hands were above him; bha gunna-làimhe aige ann an tè dhiubh: there was a hand gun in one of them; chaidh tè de na nigheanan don nàbaidh a b’ fhaisge: one of the girls went to the nearest neighbour; tarsainn an Locha Bhig ann an eathar airson bogsa-fòn a ruigsinn: across Little Loch Broom in a boat to reach a phone box; dh’fheuch i Laideann air: she tried [speaking] Latin with him; bha soitheach aig a’ Chabhlach Rìoghail air Sgoraig a ruigsinn: a Royal Navy vessel had reach Scoraig; bha an aimsir sgriosail: the weather was awful; b’ fheudar dhaibh feitheamh greis: they had to wait a while; chaidh mì-fheum a dhèanamh de stuth-spreadhaidh: explosives were misused; trèanadh ann an sgilean a’ bhlàir a-muigh: training in outdoor skills; dh’fheuch saighdear a bha seo ri bradain a ghlacadh le bhith a’ tilgeil greinèad a-steach a dh’Abhainn Iubh: one soldier tried to catch salmon by throwing a grenade into the River Ewe; tharraing seòladair air an lainneard ach bha slige anns a’ ghunna: a sailor pulled on the lanyard but there was a shell in the gun; a’ marbhadh muc agus a h-uirceanan: killing a sow and her piglets; cha robh an leanabh air a ghoirteachadh: the baby wasn’t hurt.Ìý

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha an fhairge cho garbh ’s gun tuirt am poileas nach robh e airson a bhith ann am bàta a-rithist airson a’ chòrr de a bheatha!: the sea was so wild that the policeman said he didn’t want to be in a boat again for the rest of his life! Note my use of (the feminine noun) fairge here. It is to a degree interchangeable with muir as it means ‘sea, ocean’ but it is usually used with respect to a rough open sea or to a sea pounding violently on a shore. Bha fairge mhòr ann ‘there was a heavy sea’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gun robh saighdear-adhair Gearmailteach a-staigh aca: that they had a German airman in their house.