The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 10:22 am Post subject:

There is a photograph of the rather splendid WW1 Memorial on page 18 of this document
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/documents/ayr%20academy%20consultation%20report%20stage%202.pdf

It looks as though they are still trying to decide what to do with it.

Can one of our Ayrshire crew get some photos, please?
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Ken

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 5:20 pm Post subject:

I looked at the memorial and I'm sure that when Ian Hislop did the 'Not Forgotten' series a number of years ago he did a piece to camera in front of the memorial. I believe his great uncle is on it.

Mike Morley · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:23 pm Post subject:

Second Lieutenant William Albert Robertson Monteith, 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders, is named on Glasgow Academy and Prestwick War Memorials. There is also a stained glass window in his memory in Prestwick South Church, unveiled in 1923. There is a photograph of it on the Imperial War Museum website: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/87794

Mike Morley · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 4:10 pm Post subject:

Robert Watson Orr is named on Glasgow Academy War Memorial. A keen golfer he played on The Open Championship and was a member of Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club. The Club has a Roll of Honour https://www.prestwickstnicholas.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The-Roll-of-Honour-Prestwick-St-Nicholas-Golf-Club-anniversary-update-Oct-2018.pdf
and, from the photographs therein, seems to have a memorial.

Mike Morley · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:36 pm Post subject:

On a Facebook page that I was looking at there is mention of a memorial stone at Loch Doon to Flying Officer Frantisek Hekl whose Spitfire crashed into the Loch. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Apparently the Spitfire was recovered in 1982 and is now an exhibit in Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 6:47 pm Post subject:

Great spot Mike!

Lots of good stuff here

https://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/the-collection/loch-doon-spitfire/frantisek-hekl-and-loch-doon/

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/150345

https://norfed.org.uk/about/the-spitfire/

Saturday October 25th, 1941, Flying Officer František Hekl, of 312 (Czech) Squadron, took off in spitfire P7540. Having recently been involved in the desperate hours of the Battle of Britain P7540, was now on a sedate training flight from RAF Ayr. Once safely airborne he set the course on 290°. The flight time for the 25 miles to Loch Doon would have taken five minutes. Flying down the gently curving loch just above the water level F/O Hekl made to turn right causing his starboard wing to dip into the water. The resulting drag would have caused the aircraft to cartwheel and dive into the loch, quickly disappearing below the surface, taking the pilot with it.
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Ken