During the Great War Lavery was commissioned as a war artist. Several of his war paintings are on display at the Lavery on Location Exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery.

Mine-Laying Submarines Harwich 1917:-

Hendon 1917. Hendon was a Royal Flying Corps training base. I really liked this as I’m a sucker for biplanes:-

More sombrely this is The Cemetery, Étaples:-

Daylight Raid from my Studio:-

A Coast Defence. An 18-Pounder Anti-Aircraft Gun, Tyneside:-

Lavery was almost alone in portraying those who became casualties. Wounded, London:-

More of Lavery’s works can be seen on the Ulster Museum’s website, here.

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.

Stanley is a town in County Durham.

I took a wrong turning there and ended up going down a street called Shield Row where I spotted this memorial in front of Shield Row Community House.

Given the uniforms the figures bear (Great War infantry and Royal Flying Corps) and its fresh look this would seem to be a Great War 100^th anniversary construction.

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

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:-

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

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

Prominent too is this memorial to all those RFC and RAF personnel who served at 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.

In common with many municipal cemeteries around the country Lockerbie‘s has a “Commonwealth War Graves here” sign on its gates.

I found three; two for the Great War, one for World War 2.

Second Lieutenant D Black, General List and RFC, 3/10/1917, aged 18:-

Private E P Ferguson, Highland Cyclist Battalion, 17/1/1918:-

Lance Corporal T Cook, Royal Tank Regiment, 23/1/1946, aged 27:-