This memorial to the men and women who served at RAF Banff lies beside the A 98 road between Banff and Portsoy.

Main plaque:-

Lower plaque:-

Memorial stone for Number 14 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit which trained 2,136 pilots on twin-engined Airspeed Oxfords at RAF Banff between May 1943 and August 1944:-

Kinloss ws the site of an RAF base from 1939 onwards. In 2012 the RAF moved out and the site became a barracks for the Army.

Part of the Kinloss Abbey grounds became a burial ground for war dead. There was already a grave there of a Great War casualty (Lieutenant Percy Strickland, HMS Dublin, 31/5/1916, aged 27.) The remainder are RAF, RCAF, RAAF or RNZAF casualties from World War 2.

There are in total 73 war graves at the site.

Kinloss Abbey ruins and some of the war graves:-

Since there are more than thirty graves the site has a Cross of Sacrifice:-

Reverse view:-

Another set of war graves lies to the right of the above photo; seen here from the Abbey ruin above:-

Reverse view:-

These are some of the war graves at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery by St Fergus’s Church, Dyce. Most are from World War 2. Two are women who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAFs.)

Flight Lieutenant D M Poynter, RAF, 24/12/1941, aged 26, Sgt D A Farmer, Southern Rhodesia, Pilot, RAF, 1/1/1942, aged 21, Sgt H J Kelley, Air Observer Royal Canadian Air Force, buried near this spot, 19/1/1942, aged 23. Note Great War 100^th anniversary bench in background:-

Pilot Officer N Taylor, Royal Canadian Air Force, 5/12/1942, aged 25, Sgt R A Milliken, Royal Australian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 22, buried near this spot, Sgt B C Dickson, Royal Australian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 22:-

Sgt J B Riley, RAF, 19/1/1942, aged 23, A C W First Class M A Miller, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, 30/5/1943, Sgt R J Jackson, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 21, Flying Officer J W Thomson, DFC, Pilot, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 19/1/1942, aged 28:-

Flight Sergeant, E J Morrow, Royal Canadian Air Force, 23/5/1942, aged 21, Pilot Officer L G D Thomas, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, 23/5/1942, qged 19, Sgt A Walker, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 27/4/1942, aged 19:-

Sgt D G Allen, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 28/5/1942, aged 20, Aircraftman First Class W F Dunbar, RAF, 16/6/1942, aged 20:-

Fl Sgt G Braddock, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 29/8/1943, aged 24, Sgt A F Smith, RNZAF, 29/8/1943, aged 24, Fl Lt H L Flynn, Royal Canadian Air Force, 15/12/1944, aged 23:-

The following are of post-war deaths; Corporal M N J Grose, WAAF, 9/9/1945, aged 25, Squadron Leader, A L Carrie, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 2/8/1950:-

Three more graves of post-Second World War dead are nearer the entrance. Flying Officer W S Leonard, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 3/4/1955, aged 24, Squadron Leader W M Hallam, RAF, 10/5/1952, aged 33, Pilot Officer D Robertson, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 17/9/1951, aged 28. These gravestones have an arch missing from the usual headstones:-

We passed through Moffat on our way down south and decided to explore the park to the south of the town.

I have posted about Moffat several times before.

I discovered there a memorial to Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, head of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, who was born in the town.

It could be said he was the architect of that victory over the Luftwaffe which made Britain’s continuing survival possible.

Surmounted by Churchill’s famous quote and flanked by the dates 1882 and 1970, the memorial has the dedication, “With a nation’s gratitude Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, Baron of Bentley Priory, GCB, GCVO, CMG, leader of the few, Battle of Britain, 1940, architect of deliverance,” with below, “Born in Moffat.”

Dowding Memorial:-

This lies alongside the A 67 through the town a bit closer to the centre than the Boer War Memorial:-

Gate to garden:-

Stone in memory of the crew of Blackburn Botha L6416, “lost in these hills 22/8/1941.”:-

Stone in memory of the crew of Meteor NF11 WD 778 of RAF Leeming. “Lost in these hills 24/3/1954.”:-

Stone dedicated to the aircrews of all nations who lost their lives while serving with the RAF and Air Transport Auxiliary:-

“To remember all those of the Merchant Navy who died in war and peace.”:-

Since 1916, 47 RFC or RAF aircraft have been lost in flying accidents in Teesdale and the Western Pennines. Plaques in remebrance of Bill and Lella Eden founder members of the memorial garden and another to Squadron Leader Roger M Matthews, RAF, killed in a flying accident nearby on 6/8/1981.

Many of the “war” graves at Leuchars Cemetery are of personnel who died outwith times of conflict. These may have been due to flying accidents. There was, of course, an RAF air base at Leuchars well into this century.

Squadron Leader David Nelson, RAF, 9/1/1989, age 38, Flight Lieutenant Chris Lackman, RAF, 23/9/1988, age 30:-

Pilot W Fraczek, RAF, 1/7/1949, age 29, Pilot Officer J B Lightfoot, 12/2/1954, age 22:-

Air Commodore N A N Bray, DFC, RAF, 8/7/1953 age 39, Reverend (Squadron Leader) Bryan McNeil, RAF, 3/1/2005, age 45:-

Pilot Officer J S Murray, RAF, 14/6/1955, age 23, Flying Officer H J Gourley, RAF, 24/7/1954, age 23:-

Leading Aircraftman J T James, RAF, 17/6/1959, age 18, Flight Lieutenant R A Mackintosh, RAF, 15/2/1960, age 49:-

Flight Lieutenant C R Bainbridge, RAF, 15/8/1962, age 28, Senior Aircraftman G E Lewis, RAF, 27/3/1970, age 26:-

Junior Technician Kenneth Ewan Hamilton, RAF, 22/5/1988, age 25, Flight Lieutenant Robert F Westhead, RAF, 20/2/1989, (age obscured):-

Junior Technician Laurence G McK Forbes, RAF, 25/6/1990, age 25, Crporal John Philip Airey, RAF, 24/5/1992, age 35, Warrant Officer Mick Cromer, RAF, 11/5/1993, age 50:-

Flight Lieutenant Nigel David Morton, RAF, 2/7/2009, age 43, Flight Lieutenant Gary Dunlop, RAF, 4/6/1988, age 38:-

Flight Lieutenant Stuart J M Walker, RAF, 8/7/1994, age 32, in loving memory of Sergeant J B (Tug) Wilson, once RAF, died 15/10/1993, Corporal David E Stevenson, RAF, 27/81990, age 24:-

Warrant Officer C Blevins, RAF, September 1987, age 45, Corporal A M Dagujar, RAF, 29/5/1977, age 26:-

Corporal PC Mill, RAF, 13/8/1969, age 29, Flight Lieutenant J M Knight, RAF, 21/11/1960, age 27, Flight Lieutenant J M Owen, RAF, 28/8/1964, age 31:-

In addition there is this non Commonwealth War Grave gravestone for Lieutenant Eric John Campbell Kirby, RAF, died at Dunfermline 8/81919 from injuries received on flying duty, aged 19:-

Plus the grave of a retired RAF serviceman, Flight Lieutenant John B Hind, RAF, 25 years service, mostly flying, latterly 23 Squadron Lightnings. 2/3/1931 – 19/9/1976:-

Most of the war graves at Leuchars Cemetery are lined up before the Cross of Scarifice. I photographed these in groups.

Flight Sergeant W P W McQueen, RAF, 28/8/1947, Flying Officer F D Foote, RAF, 1/6/1941, Flying Officer G J Dunn, Navigator, RAF, 14/9/1941:-

Warrant Officer G J Forbes, RAF, (something – wireless? -) operator, Air Gunner, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 14/9/1944, Flight Sergeanty J H Williams, Royal Australian Air Force, 14/9/1944, age 24, Flying Officer J W Bayard, Royal Canadian Air Force, 14/9/1944, age 24:-

Flying Officer A Tulloch, Royal Canadian Air Force, 20/7/1944, age 23, Flight Sergeant J C L Small, Royal Australian Air Force, 20/7/1944, age 21, Flight Sergeant E P Smithl, Royal Australian Air Force, 20/7/1944, age 26:-

Flying Officer W M Ferguson, Navigator, RAF, 11/7/1943 and Flying Officer E F Kirwan, Pilot, RAF, 11/6/1943, age 28:-

Flight Officer E Davidson, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, 24/11.1943, age 43, Flying Officer A F Shapcott, 8/8/1943, age 29:-

Flying Officer J H Benton, Navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force, 11/7/1943, age 29, Flight Sergeant A I Wheatcroft, Bomb Aimer/Navigator, RAF, 24/5/1943, age 22:-

Warrant Officer T A Pertus, Royal Canadian Air Force, 5/2/1943, age 22, Squadron Leader C T E Smith, RAF, 24/1/1943, age 49:-

Aircraftman 2nd Class L Dale, Wireless Operator, RAF, 1/12/1939, Pilot Officer R M Wuilliams, Pilot, RAF, 1/12/1939, age 25, Pilot Officer H G Yelland, RAF, 1/12/1939, age 25:-

Flying Officer C H Clark, Pilot, RAF, 10/10/1939, age 27, Pilot Officer W E Lockley, Pilot, RAF, 19/10/1939, and Sergeant H Letchford, Pilot, RAF, 4/10/1939 age 24:-

Aircraftman 1st Class, C A Bates, Wireless Operator, RAF, 4/10/1939, Pilot Officer J W C McFarlane, Pilot, RAF, Pilot Officer R A Barker, Pilot, RAF, 4/10/1939, age 24:-

Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth graves:-

Annan Cemetery is on a minor road leading north off the A 75 just to the west of the town. It contains a fair number of Commonwealth War Graves.

There is a line of 22 quite near the entrance. One of these is for a Czechoslovakian airman:-

I photographed these in blocks hoping to make out the individaul names but in most cases the lighting makes that difficult. They all seem to be Second World War graves, RAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force or Royal Australian Air Force:-

To the right here is the grave of that Czechoslovakian, Karel Dosva, RAF, 20/10/1908-21/1?/1943.

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

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

Detail:-

Photos of some women flyers:-

Civilian casualties:-

RAF Sector Clock:-

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.”:-

Models of a Mosquito and Hurricane:-

War Savings Campaign Plaque:-