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Cairnsmore of Fleet - Local Air Crashes
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:08 pm    Post subject: Cairnsmore of Fleet - Local Air Crashes Reply with quote

I have not been able to visit or photograph the memorial but a description of how to get there is at Http://www.gallowaymrt.org.uk/Walks/Walk2.htm. Note that this is a mountain rescue team web site (!) and you need to make a significant physical commitment to get there (about 2 -2½ hours walk from the nearest road/track).
Location is at (or near) NX 502 671.


Last edited by spoons on Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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SyPitt



Joined: 23 Apr 2007
Posts: 1
Location: Dumfries

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:07 pm    Post subject: Cairnsmore of Fleet Memorial Reply with quote

Climbed Cairnsmore again for the umpteenth time, Wednesday 18th April, 07. On average, depending on the route taken and there are many options, it takes about two hours to reach the cairn and monument.
The monument comprises a granite slab set edge on into the summit. It was orginally inscribed with lead lettering inserted into the stone. Frost damage resulted in most of the lettering being lost. Today the airmen who crashed there are commemorated on a copper/bronze plaque. This is quite difficult to photograph but I do have readable images.
The earliest was Heinkel, with four of a crew, crashed on the 8th August 1940. The most recent, A USAF McDonald Douglas Phantom, with two of a crew, crashed 28th March, 1979

I could list the details of all eight aircraft and their crews here if these would be of interest.

Sy
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Sy, glad to have you aboard. Any details that you can add, up to and including a full transcription is very welcome - also any background info. I was told that the memorial was put in place by helicopter.
Any chance you can post the pics? Guidance on posting pics is on this site, or pm me if you get stuck.

\Spoons
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Adam Brown
Curator


Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Cairnsmore of Fleet Memorial Reply with quote

SyPitt wrote:
This is quite difficult to photograph but I do have readable images.

Sy

Good to have you posting on the forum. Please put your images on the forum if you can whatever the quality. It would be good to see them.

SyPitt wrote:
I could list the details of all eight aircraft and their crews here if these would be of interest.


Please list what you can. We want as much information about the memorials on the forum as possible.

Regards

Adam
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I finally got around to traipsing up the hill (2,300 feet so I guess I should say mountain). I guess SyPitt fell by the wayside with his prints so here are mine.

The memorial would seem to date from some time after 1979 and is a very substantial piece of granite, originally with lead lettering and later with a bronze plaque to replace the lead that was suffering the ravages of the weather. I am not sure that the bronze will last indefinately either.

Partly because it took nearly 2 hours to get there and partly to show what remains visible of the original inscription as well as the more recent plaque, I have posted rather more photos than is usual - I hope no-one minds.

The memorial is right at the top of the hill, close to the cairn and the trig point, you can't miss it.





















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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Transcription:

ERECTED IN MEMORY OF AIRMEN KILLED ON THIS HILL
CAIRNSMORE OF FLEET

First Crash:
LEUTNANT A ZEISS AGE 25
UNTEROFFIZIER G T VON TURCKHEIM AGE 31
UNTEROFFIZIER W HAJESCH AGE 21
UNTEROFFIZIER W MECHSNER AGE 23
FROM NG 1 STAFFEL OF KAMPFGESCHWADER 4 SOESTERBURG AIR BASE HOLLAND
THE AIRCRAFT A HEINKEL III H4 CRASHED ON 8TH AUGUST 1940

Second Crash:
AIRCRAFTSMAN D J THOM AGE 20
FROM NO 10 AIR OBSERVER SCHOOL RAF DUMFRIES
THE AIRCRAFT BLACKBURN BOTHA L6539 CRASHED ON 2ND MARCH 1942

Third Crash:
SERGEANT A C H ALLEN AGE 21
MISTER W PATERSON AGE 31
FROM NO 1 OBSERVER ADVANCED FLYING UNIT OF RAF WIGTOWN
THE AVRO ANSON AIRCRAFT W2640 CRASHED ON 17TH APRIL 1942

Fourth Crash:
FLIGHT SERGEANT B H VYE RCAF AGE 21
SERGEANT A W HAWKES AGE 29
LEADING AIRCRAFTSMAN R D HUME AGE 22
LEADING AIRCRAFTSMAN G A HORNE AGE 20
AIRCRAFTSMAN G O M RAWSON AGE 20
FROM NO 9 AIR GUNNERS SCHOOL RAF LLANOWROG
THE AVRO ANSON DJ126 CRASHED ON 22ND SEPTEMBER 1942

Fifth Crash:
PILOT OFFICER J M COOLEY RCAF AGE 30
WARRANT OFFICER J J M WARD AGE 23
FLIGHT SERGEANT M C SIMPSON RCAF AGE 19
FROM NO 10 OBSERVER ADVANCED FLYING UNIT RAF DUMFRIES
THE AIRCRAFT EG485 AVRO ANSON CRASHED ON 22ND FEBRUARY 1944

Sixth Crash:
SERGEANT W A EDWARDS AGE 23
SERGEANT H W G RENNISON AGE 31
SERGEANT R O BEGGS RNZAF AGE 29
FLIGHT SERGEANT B B HAYTOM AGE 21
FLIGHT SERGEANT A W WAUCHOPE RAAF AGE 27
FRON NO 4 OBSERVER ADVANCED FLYING UNIT RAF WEST FREUGH
ANSON AIRCRAFT N9589 CRASHED ON 12TH JUNE 1944

Seventh Crash:
FLIGH SERGEANT R S T HIDE AGE 22
PILOT OFFICER A A GOODILL RCAF AGE 26
SERGEANT T J MALONE AGE 24
FROM NO 1 OBSERVER ADVANCED FLYING UNIT RAF WIGTOWN
AVRO ANSON W5140 CRASHED ON THE 9TH JULY 1944

Eighth Crash:
CAPTAIN T J SEAGREN USAF AGE 26
CAPTAIN R V SPALDING USAF AGE 31
1ST TACTICAL RECONNAISANCE SQUADRON RAF ALCONBURY
THE AIRCRAFT A McDONNELL DOUGLAS PHANTOM RF4C 68 0566 CRASHED ON 28TH MARCH 1979
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was up there again on 8th June and noticed 2 small additions to the memorial. A piece of (what looks like) aircraft wreckage with 'lest we forget' fairly crudely written on it and a nice granite block with a poppy. Someone at the top told me the piece of wreckage had been there for a few years, I didn't want to contradict him but you can see that neither addition was present in my photos from 2007.



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JOLLY GREEN



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 6
Location: GREAT BRITAIN

PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Cairnsmore of Fleet memorial was indeed lifted into place by USAF helicopter on behalf of the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum. On 8 August 1980 (40th Anniversary of the Heinkel 111 crash) the stone was dedicated at Minnigaff Church and lifted into position by a Sikorsky HH-53C "Super Jolly Green Giant" from the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, RAF Woodbridge. The aircraft tail number was 69-5796 and the Pilot was Captain Frank A Gray. Following the placing of the memorial stone the HH-53C returned with an object slung in the net – the 67th ARRS and the Museum members onboard the helicopter had managed to recover one of the Heinkel bomber engines. It now has pride of place amongst the extensive aero engine display at the Aviation Museum.

Frank returned to Scotland for a three week period during Oct 1980 to recover the wreckage of the RF-4C Phantom from Cairnsmore and the F-111E from Craignaw. Museum members were invited to view the operation and provided assistance to the crew whilst based at West Freugh.

The 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was originally the 67th Air Rescue Squadron and was based at Prestwick during the 1950's and 1960's. To commemorate this and the memorial airlift a special display was officially opened on 27 July 2007 as part of the Museum's 30th Anniversary celebratory weekend. The ceremony was attended by an MH-53M "Pave Low" helicopter from the 21st Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall and a Royal Navy SAR Sea King from HMS Gannet, Prestwick. The unveiling was conducted by Lt Col Brent P Markowski, then Commander of the 67th Special Operations Squadron and Major Frank A Gray USAF (Retired), 67th ARRS. The MH-53M that attended the ceremony was 69-5796, the very same aircraft that had lifted the memorial almost exactly 27 years earlier!

The two new additions to the memorial you have noticed were placed by Frank and Penelope Gray, my Father - Morris Service and Museum chairman Davie Reid when they visited the memorial in July 2007.

Spoons - please PM me if you would like to visit the Museum and view the display. I am in Dumfries next week and have loads of photographs and documents relating to the memorial airlift.

Mark Service
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would love to know if relatives of any of those commemorated are aware of this memorial and if they would care to post here with any information, for example a photo, then that would be very welcome.

Mark, welcome to the forum, that is some fantastic information on this memorial - thank you for posting it. I shall contact you by PM.

\Paul
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I visited the museum last Sunday and was made very welcome and given tons of info by those there including Morris Service (one of the founders of the museum) and his son Mark who has a special interest in this memorial.

The small piece of aluminium (not aircraft wreckage) has apparently been stood on and bent over so I was not aware of the inscription on the reverse which reads:

"Placed here on 9/8/07 by Maj F Gray Pilot USAF (Retd), David Reid, Morris Service. Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum"

Major Gray was the pilot of the 'Jolly Green Giant' which carried the memorial up the mountain and placed it in position.

\Paul
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JOLLY GREEN



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 6
Location: GREAT BRITAIN

PostPosted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:28 pm    Post subject: 30 YEARS AGO TODAY! Reply with quote

I can't believe that this is the 30th Anniversary of the Cairnsmore of Fleet memorial stone being lifted into place by the USAF. I vividly remember standing in complete awe as the massive "Jolly Green Giant" effortlessly lifted the stone at Minnigaff and then returned with the Heinkel engine. Well done Capt Frank A Gray, a great man and a first class Pilot.
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PeterMoran



Joined: 08 Nov 2010
Posts: 1
Location: BLackpool, Lancashire

PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have just looked up the item about the Cairnsmore-of-Fleet memorial. I too was present at the service of dedication at Monigaff Parish Church, Newton Stewart, on 8 August 1980. I took a wide range of photographs of the event with a view to publishing these in FlyPast magazine where I was a regular contributor. Sadly this never happened but I have this material and am determined to publish it in the near future.

I would be grateful to anyone able to let me use a photograph of the memorial as it exists today, with acknowledgement of course.

Finally, I would like to know the present whereabouts of my good friends, Bruce Robertson and Maurice Service, both members of the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Group.

Peter Moran
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

will send you a PM

\Paul
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JOLLY GREEN



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 6
Location: GREAT BRITAIN

PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter,

I wil send you a PM.

Mark Service
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum
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JOLLY GREEN



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 6
Location: GREAT BRITAIN

PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peter,

Should be a PM in your inbox from back in November.

Mark Service
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum
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