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Stewartry
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 142
Location: nr Nottingham
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 Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject: Dundrennan |
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The village of Dundrennan is on the A711 Dalbeattie to Kirkcudbright coast road. The memorial stands just off the road in front of the village church, about 100 yards after you enter the village from the east (Auchencairn/Dalbeattie). |
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Stewartry
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 142
Location: nr Nottingham
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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UKNIWM Ref: 5867
OS Map Ref: NX 748 478
some alternative pics
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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I visited Rerrick church today and there was an exhibition of local history etc (no memorials inside unfortunately). Amongst the items on display were 2 pages of information concerning those listed on the memorial. Unfortunately the page for WW2 was so inaccurate that I have not posted it. The other page seems to be page 1 (2 is missing) of the Great War. I have no idea of the provenance of this research (possibly someone from the local FHS) so any information should be checked carefully. However I decided on balance to post it as it may give some useful pointers for future research.
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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There is no memorial for this tragic event so I am taking a bit of liberty by adding a post here as I feel that the Hamilton family should be commemorated somewhere and this memorial would seem the logical place.
In the early hours of 18th July 1944 a Bristol Beaufighter crashed on a house in Dundrennan killing the crew of two plus four members of the Hamilton family. This was one of only two incidents during WW2 involving multiple deaths of civilians in Dumfries and Galloway – the other being the bombing raid on Gretna.
The four members of the Hamilton family are buried in a single grave in the Rerrick parish churchyard and this is well off the beaten track at OS Map Ref NX 760 467. All are listed on CWGC so this is a war grave.
A senior local told me that the one survivor – Georgina (or Ina) is still living but there was no memorial to the family/event in the church, school or any other place. There is a photographic record (book) of the events in the Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright.
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Adam Brown
The Boss
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 3764
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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The Pitsligo memorial just posted shows a precedence for including civilians who died as a result of the war. if one of teh airmen who died had been a Dundrennan man he would have been listed so why not the Hamiltons.
You were right to post these details here Spoons so that the family is remebrered on the forum along with the other war dead.
Regards
Adam |
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Adam Brown
The Boss
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 3764
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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Does anyone know the names of the two RAF men who died?
From George McHenry's eye-witness testimony it looks like they were trying to avoid the buildings when they crashed.
Adam |
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Brown wrote: | Does anyone know the names of the two RAF men who died?
From George McHenry's eye-witness testimony it looks like they were trying to avoid the buildings when they crashed.
Adam |
I cannot find the names on the internet and unfortunately you cannot search CWGC by date. I will have a look in the local papers next time I am in the library, but I am not hopeful.
Unlikely they were 'trying to avoid', the plane is either in control or not, in any case they were extremely unlucky to hit dead centre of the only small village for miles around in this sparsely populated area. It was 1:15 am and there would have been absolutely no light to see anything by (unless there was a moon of course). Most likely it was what is now known as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), i.e. they did not know the ground was there until they hit it (faulty instruments or human error etc).
\Paul |
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dhubthaigh
Our first ever 1000-poster
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 3197
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| SO SO sad. For Georgina to have lived her life with that is incredible. |
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Brown wrote: | Does anyone know the names of the two RAF men who died?
From George McHenry's eye-witness testimony it looks like they were trying to avoid the buildings when they crashed.
Adam |
I have managed to get a copy of the substantial newspaper article written at the time. There is no mention of the pilots names, nor does anything seem to be known locally. The quality of the negative image article printed from fiche does not allow me to post it here, but if anyone would like a copy I will try and scan or photocopy it.
\Paul |
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chris.wight
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 13
Location: Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| spoons wrote: | | I cannot find the names on the internet and unfortunately you cannot search CWGC by date. |
Paul, you could email the CWGC and ask for a list of names of those who died in the U.K. on that date. I've have asked, on several occasions, for such lists and was pleased to get same from them. |
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the idea, request has been sent.
Glad to have you aboard as a member.
\Paul |
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jamiemcginlay
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 897
Location: Glasgow
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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Just thought I'd post these couple of extra pics as the memorial had clearly been cleaned just before I took them. Its a lovely memorial.
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spoons
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2645
Location: St John's Town of Dalry
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| Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks to Alan Leishman at the Dumfries Aviation Museum for the following information.
"Beaufighter JL893 of 9 OTU
crashed into a house in Dundrennan on 18th July 1944. Both crew were killed. They were :
YOUNG E.M SGT. RAF PILOT BEAUFIGHTER JL893 LEEDS , LAWNS WOOD , CREM.
WILES H.A F/SGT RAF NAV. BEAUFIGHTER JL893 ALDERSHOT CIVIL , HAMPS. "
Neither of these men nor any of the family killed in the house are commemorated on any memorial as far as I have been able to ascertain.
\Paul |
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