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:-

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.

See yesterday’s post.

Bomb dropped from Zeppelin. (Luckily for the citizens of Edinburgh where it dropped, it seems not to have exploded.):-

Model (in the shop) of a Sopwith Camel:-

Real seat from a Sopwith Camel. It looks like a garden chair with its legs cut off:-

Compare and contrast. A more modern ejector seat:-

Hawk Training Aircraft:-

A Red Arrows XX308:-

A New Zealand War Memorial. Inscribed, “In memory of the men from the Dominion who served in Scotland during the 1939 – 1945 conflict. Also in heartfelt remembrance of those who, whilst flying from Scotland’s sea and shore in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Fleet Air Arm, made the ultimate sacrifice. ‘They watch over Scotia still’.”

The 1930s were possibly the high point of aviation displays – exciting and new. This poster advertises one in Fife:-