Linzee
16th September 2008, 09:17
The following appeared in the Aberdeen Press and Journal Yesterday which may be of interest:
A permanent tribute has been unveiled to a group of trainee fighter pilots, on the site of their Scottish World War II base.
A memorial garden was opened at Grangemouth in Stirlingshire honouring 74 young pilots killed when flying with 58 Operational Training Unit and other RAF units based in the town.
A stone wall was unveiled, featuring the names of every pilot who died and their nationalities.
They included airmen from Poland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.
A life size replica Mk1 Spitfire will stand over the site of the former RAF Grangemouth, now largely covered by the town's giant oil refinery.
A ceremony, organised by the 1333 (Grangemouth) Squadron of the Air Training Corps, was held on Saturday to commemorate the men killed while training to fight.
More than 200 guests and dignitaries were there, including Roger MacKay, one of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots, and John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, who won the Victoria Cross in 1944 with Coastal Command.
Air Marshall Sir Roger Austin told the guests "This memorial wall and Spitfire Mk1 replica recognise the role of airmen, both from the British Isles and much further airfield, who came to RAF Grangemouth to learn to fly, become fighter pilots and make their own individual contributions to winning the war."
RAF Grangemouth was originally used as a civilian airfield, the Central Scotland Airport.
Regards
Linzee
A permanent tribute has been unveiled to a group of trainee fighter pilots, on the site of their Scottish World War II base.
A memorial garden was opened at Grangemouth in Stirlingshire honouring 74 young pilots killed when flying with 58 Operational Training Unit and other RAF units based in the town.
A stone wall was unveiled, featuring the names of every pilot who died and their nationalities.
They included airmen from Poland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.
A life size replica Mk1 Spitfire will stand over the site of the former RAF Grangemouth, now largely covered by the town's giant oil refinery.
A ceremony, organised by the 1333 (Grangemouth) Squadron of the Air Training Corps, was held on Saturday to commemorate the men killed while training to fight.
More than 200 guests and dignitaries were there, including Roger MacKay, one of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots, and John Cruickshank, from Aberdeen, who won the Victoria Cross in 1944 with Coastal Command.
Air Marshall Sir Roger Austin told the guests "This memorial wall and Spitfire Mk1 replica recognise the role of airmen, both from the British Isles and much further airfield, who came to RAF Grangemouth to learn to fly, become fighter pilots and make their own individual contributions to winning the war."
RAF Grangemouth was originally used as a civilian airfield, the Central Scotland Airport.
Regards
Linzee