08-05-2025
Do you know Glasgow war hero nurse who helped in Clydebank Blitz?
A tenement, hit by a Luftwaffe bomb, was in ruins, a severely injured man trapped in the debris.
With little regard for their own safety, the two medics, along with city police surgeon Dr McLaren Ord, made their way to the man through a tunnel created by emergency workers, and carried out emergency surgery.
With dust and debris falling around them, and the rest of the building in danger of collapse, they amputated the man's leg to release him.
(Image: Ancestry)
Now, historians are searching for family of Nurse McGinty, who lived at 44 Circus Drive, Glasgow, as part of the VE Day 80th anniversary commemorations.
The night of the Clydebank Blitz, when German aircraft dropped bombs along the Clydeside into Glasgow, 1200 people were killed, thousands more injured and homes and businesses were destroyed.
Crown Avenue at the corner of Kilbowie Road, showing the devastation of the Clydebank Blitz. (Image: (Photo courtesy West Dunbartonshire Library and Archives))
Amid the terror, some breathtaking acts of gallantry were carried out.
To mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, family history website Ancestry, is uncovering and celebrating the unsung heroes of WWII in Glasgow.
The company is honouring 80 'hidden heroes' of World War II by spotlighting the role and contributions of people across the country, whether that was on the battlefields, in factories, in the Air Raid Precautions or supporting local communities on the home front.
Sue Webb (Image: Ancestry)
The company is keen to track down the relatives of Cecilia McGinty to present them with a limited-edition commemorative plate, which includes their name and a digitally enhanced image based on original photography from the time.
Dr Millar's granddaughter Sue Webb was presented with a plate honouring her grandfather at Ancestry's 'Table of History' on London's Southbank this week.
Our sister newspaper, then The Glasgow Herald, reported in June, 1941: 'When at 3.30am on March 14 Dr Millar arrived at the wrecked tenement building, rescue parties had succeeded in tunnelling through to a trapped man.
'To relieve the pain the man was suffering, Dr Millar administered morphia. The man's foot was caught between a kitchen range and a flight of stone stairs, and it was feared that attempts to free it would mean the collapse of the remaining portion of the building.
READ NEXT: Veterans to march in Glasgow as city prepares for VE Day 80th anniversary
READ NEXT: 'We are all walking in footsteps of the brave': Rutherglen woman's VE Day tribute
'At 4am, Dr McLaren Ord arrived…and it was decided to amputate the man's foot in order to release him. With Nurse McGinty, the doctors entered the tunnel and by the light of electric torches, Dr Millar performed a 40 minutes operation, the anaesthetic being given by Dr McLaren Ord assisted by Nurse McGinty.
'During the entire period, the debris was on the point of collapsing and occasional falls of wreckage occurred. By their gallant action performed at great personal risk the doctors succeeded in extricating the trapped man.'
In celebration of VE Day 80, Ancestry is giving free access to more than 2.5 million military records from May 5 to 11, enabling the public to delve into their past and see if they are related to those being honoured.
Are you related to Nurse McGinty? Get in touch by emailing or write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow G32 8FG.
