1940: The Battle of Britain, the UK’s defence against the German onslaught by the Luftwaffe, begins.

That defence and the German bombing campaign that followed mostly happened in England, such as cities like London and Coventry.

The lightning night attacks during the Blitz killed 43,000 civilians across various cities in the UK. In the first month alone the Luftwaffe dropped 5300 tons of explosives on London across 24 nights.

It petered out when Hitler focused his plans on an invasion of Russia.

For many children in Scotland, the war seemed a thing that was a world apart from their lives, until the Clydebank Blitz brought it roaring around their ears.

January 1941: Clydebank is booming with extra work brought on by the war, including the construction and repair of war ships at John Brown’s shipyard. Factories such as the Singer Sewing Machine building turned to making munitions, producing bullets round the clock.

These efforts also made Clydebank, on the outskirts of Glasgow, a prime target for bombing raids.

Preparations were made to protect civilians from attacks, such as barrage balloons and the provision of Anderson shelters for those properties that had gardens.

People living in tenements used communal shelters built in the streets.

March 8: London is targeted by the Luftwaffe as a new bombing campaign begins.

March 9 - 12: Portsmouth, Birmingham and Liverpool are hit in quick succession.

March 13: 236 Yunkel and Heinkel bombers are prepared in German-occupied Europe for the biggest attack of the campaign so far.

The attack on Clydebank, codenamed Gregor, was well planned using aerial photographs, identifying the yards and factories that made such valuable contributions to the war effort.

The small area housed around 55,000 people, often in overcrowded tenements.

Sunset: The first of the bombers left for Scotland. Leading aircrafts were to seek out target areas and drop fire-starting bombs to mark them for following planes.

9pm: Sirens begin to sound, warning residents of the oncoming attack. Many people suspected it was a false alarm.

Among the first buildings hit were the warehouses at the Yoker distillery where whisky fuelled the flames, the Singer factory which had produced munitions and the Admiralty oil depot, the prime target.

Emergency services were quickly overwhelmed and called to surrounding areas for assistance.

Quote from Tom McKendrick, West Dunbartonshire Council.

Overnight: High-explosive bombs, incendiary bombs and land mines ravaged the area over a nine-hour period.

Fires at Singer's timber yards, Yoker Distillery and Old Kilpatrick's oil depot resulted in the greatest damage to industry.

People grabbed their belongings and left, only to be confronted with main routes out of the town blocked, including Dumbarton Road which was littered with piles of debris potentially hiding unexploded bombs.

Many people waited in communal buildings to be evacuated but were often left because of failing systems of communication.

A defence was launched using Polish destroyer ORP Poirun, which was at John Brown’s shipyard for repairs.

Spitfires from Glasgow's 602 Squadron were sent to patrol the skies but were strategically ineffective - the patrolling tactic called 'fighter night' was never used again.

Midnight, March 14: Rescue work continues with people trapped in buildings and buried under rubble.

The area’s water supply was directly hit under Kilbowie Road, which hampered efforts to fight the flames.

As Clydebank crumbled, a further 200 German bombers returned raining explosives for a further seven hours. Almost 1000 tones of explosives and incendiaries were dropped on and around the area across the two-day period.

2am: Anti-aircraft guns to the north of Clydebank run out of ammunition.

The official death toll was 528, although many argue the figure should be higher. Other sources claim it was nearer 1200, with nearly 1000 injured and 50,000 left homeless.

March 18: The Glasgow Herald reads: "The cool, unwavering courage of the people is evident, and when the full story of their heroism in the face of the Luftwaffe is told, they will take their place alongside the citizens of London and Coventry."

Homes: Many tenements have been demolished to make way for new social housing schemes.

Today: A memorial to the crew of ORP Poirun who defended Clydebank during the Blitz stands at Solidarity Plaza.

The Blitz Memorial, Old Dalnottar Cemetery, Clydebank, reads: "Dedicated to the memory of the citizens of Clydebank who lost their lives through enemy action in March 1941."