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More from Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

Great War Roll of Honour. I missed this out in my War Memorials at Montrose post:-

Great War Roll of Honour, Montrose Air Station

A Sea Hawk:-

Sea Hawk

Showing twin tails:-

Part of a Sea Hawk

World War 2 at Montrose Air Station

Model of Montrose Air Station at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre:-

Model of Montrose Air Station

Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) poster. The ATA featured many women pilots:-

Air Transport Auxiliary Panel

Detail:-

ATA Panel Detail, Montrose Air Station

Photos of some women flyers:-

Women Flyers

Civilian casualties:-

Civilian casualties at Montrose Air Station

RAF Sector Clock:-

RAF Sector Clock, Montrose Air Station

RAF Memorial Window, in stained glass. Inscribed, “This window commemorates the pilots of the Royal Air Force who in the Battle of Britain turned the work of our hands into the salvation of our country.”:-

RAF Memorial Window

Models of a Mosquito and Hurricane:-

Mosquito and Hurricane Models

War Savings Campaign Plaque:-

War Savings Campaign Plaque

War Memorials, Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

Part of a Memorial display at Montrose Air Station. A War Memorial rescued from a now disused Church at Logie, near Montrose:-

Church War Memorial

The placard beside the rescued Memorial asks, “Do we really remember them?”

Do We Really Remember Caption

The poppy wall above it commemorates the dead of both World Wars:-

Poppies

External Exhibits, Montrose Air Station

Before you get to the museum entrance at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre you pass these hangars which date from before the Great War:-

WW1 Air Hangars

Then there’s the obligatory Spitfire. This one’s named Red Lichtie. There is an Arbroath connection, though this one is probably a replica of the original:-

Spitfire Red Lichtie

More up to date (well, 1950s) is this Gloster Meteor:-

Gloster Meteor

This artillery piece, an anti-aircraft gun, is also exposed to the elements:-

WW2 Artillery Piece, Montrose Air Station

Prominent too is this memorial to all those RFC and RAF personnel who served at Montrose Air Station:-

RFC and RAF Memorial

Montrose Air Station

Montrose airfield was the home to the first British air squadron (at that time of the Royal Flying Corps, RFC) to fly fixed-wing aircraft.

That squadron was No 2 Squadron, RFC.

Why not No 1 Squadron?

No 1 Squadron flew balloons (from which they converted in 1914.)

No 2 Squadron moved to Montrose from Farnborough in 1913. Montrose therefore became the first operational military aerodrome in the UK.

The first RFC pilot to land in France in 1914 after war was declared was Lieutenant H D Harvey-Kelly of No 2 Squadron. (He is also credited with being the first RFC pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.)

Another of the Squadron’s pilots became the first airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross, posthumously, on 26/4/1915.

The airfield is now home to a museum called Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.

We visited the Air Station in May last year.

Photographs will be forthcoming.

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