A row has erupted after a Nazi flag was included at a Second World War memorabilia event in Buckie.
The Blast from the Past exhibition was organised at the Fishermen’s Hall in the town.
The exhibition, which cost £2 to enter, allowed people to “step back in time” as it displayed period items such as radios, saucepans, cameras, coins, lanterns and ration books.
Members of the military were given a discount on entry to the event and were encouraged to wear their uniforms.
But attendees were left shocked after a Nazi flag – including a swastika – was prominently on display.
It was draped over a table which also included a German Wehrmacht helmet.
Two other smaller Nazi flags were also on show. One was in a photo frame and another on a miniature flagstick.
Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Major Maurice Gibson, defended the display stressing it was in context with the rest of the event – despite it causing controversy within the Buckie community.
‘I would burn it to the ground’
Connie Stewart, 87, was born in the town in 1935 and recalls standing at her front door with her mum as German bombers flew overhead.
She said: “My mum had to take me inside and put me under the bed.
“To this day I can still hear that noise when the planes go overhead from Lossiemouth. It makes me cold, I have never forgotten it.”
Mrs Stewart said the decision to include the flag in the display was “disgusting”.
“I can’t believe they had the audacity to do that in Scotland,” she said.
Mrs Stewart was unable to attend the exhibition due to an injured ankle but added: “Maybe it is a good job I didn’t go down.
“If I had gone I would have pulled it off the table and stamped on it, that’s how angry I was.
“If it could just get a hold of that thing I would burn it to the ground and not show it off like a trophy.
“They might have put me in jail but I wouldn’t have cared.”
The strength of Mrs Stewart’s feelings comes from the deep personal loss the war caused her family.
Her brother Bobby Coull served in the army, while her other brother George was in the Royal Navy.
Bobby was captured in Italy and spent time in prisoner-of-war camps, where he caught tuberculosis.
The dad-of-two eventually died from the disease at age 38.
‘Nazi flag was displayed in context of Buckie event’
But Mrs Stewart was not the only member of the community to be shocked by the display.
Several others made their voices heard on social media.
Bob Stewart commented: “Absolutely disgusting having that on show.”
Graeme Summers-Campbell posted: “Disgusting.”
Attendees said the overall display was designed to raise money for cancer support charity Clan Moray and the palliative care unit The Oaks in Elgin.
Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Banffshire, Major Maurice Gibson, who spent nearly 20 years in the Army serving across the world, was at the event.
He said: “I can understand if people were upset if they had lost a brother or had been bombed, but that was without a doubt not the intention of the organisers.
“I personally thought it was really well put together.
“At the side of Fishermen’s Hall there was war memorabilia and a very small section with some German memorabilia and a small German flag.
“I felt it was in context as it was all about the Second World War.”
He added: “It is unfortunate she was upset but the purpose of the event was to bring the community together.”
The Fishermen’s Hall has been contacted to comment.
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