The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Keptie · Last edited by Keptie on Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:35 am; edited 1 time in total

lady Rachel MacRobert of Tarlandin estate Aberdeenshire lost 3 sons in the Royal Air Force and gave the War Office in London a cheque for £25,000 as a memorial to her 3 Sons who were casualties in the Royal Air Force as she had no other sons .

sons : Alasdair MacRobert killed whilst flying in the RAF circa 1938
Roderic MacRobert , eldest son , Killed in action May 1941 with the RAF in Iraq.
Iain MacRobert, youngest son , killed in action with RAF Coastal Command.

The RAF bombers of WW2 were named " MacRobert's Reply" in memory of her 3 sons from Tarlandin estate Aberdeenshire

Lady Rachel MacRobert died in 1954 .

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patrick w anderson

.

David McNay · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:15 pm Post subject:

The bombers were actually named "MacRobert's Reply".

More information here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacRobert%27s_Reply

Roxy · Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 7:44 pm Post subject:

Apparently, Lady MacRobert also purchased 4 Hurricanes for the Russian Campaign; named after her 3 sons and 'MacRoberts' Salute to Russia'.

http://www.squidoo.com/macroberts-reply

And from the XV Sqn website, all ac designated 'F' are named 'MacRobert's Reply'; the current ac is a Tornado GR4 ZA463.

Roxy
_________________
Remembering my ggf, Pte Thomas Roberts, 10 SR, killed 25 Sep 15 at Loos.
Also remembering Flt Lt Al Squires and CXX/3 killed 2 Sep 06 in Afghanistan.

Keptie · Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 6:49 pm Post subject: MacRoberts Reply

a friend of mine from Strichen has informed me of the DOUNESIDE HOUSE , above the village of Tarland near Aberdeen that is owned by the MACROBERT TRUST and is in memory of the 3 MacRobert sons .

see their website

patrick w anderson

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

The house is owned by the MacRobert Trust. It is in memory of the three sons, as is Alastrean House ( detailed below). The MacRobert's estate was centrered on the farm of Douneside at Tarland, the former farm house now Douneside House.

Sending payment to the War Office for the aircraft on learning her third son had been killed she wrote " "It is my wish, as a mother, to reply in a way my sons would applaud - attack with great fire power, head on and hard. The amount of £25,000 is to buy a bomber aircraft to continue my son's work in the most effective way. This expresses my feelings on receiving notice about my sons …
They would be happy that their mother would avenge them and help to attack the enemy. I, therefore, feel that an appropriate name for the bomber would be the MacRobert's Reply. The aircraft should also bear the MacRobert coat of arms the family crest, a crossed fern leaf and an Indian rose. Let the bomber serve where there is the most need of her and may luck be with those who fly her. If I had 10 sons, I know they all would have done service for their country".

A remarkable lady.

" Alastrean House, originally known as House of Cromar, was built at the turn of the century as the home of the Marquis of Aberdeen. Completed in 1905, the House and associated 9,000 acre estate was acquired by Sir Alexander MacRobert, owner of the nearby Douneside Estate, in 1918. The House passed to Lady MacRobert in 1934 when Lord Aberdeen died. Alastrean House became part of the operation of the Balhousie Care Group in March 2005, although the House is still owned by The MacRobert Trust.

Both Alastrean House and Douneside House also have memorial purposes in perpetuity and these are described in the Trust Deed. Douneside House is maintained as a memorial to the family of Sir Alexander MacRobert whilst Alastrean House is maintained as a memorial to the three MacRobert sons. "
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk

Keptie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:55 pm Post subject: macroberts reply

Ive been informed by a friend Ian Thomson in Ceres Fife of the Sunday Post for March 30th , 2003 regarding the unveiling earlier that month on the private land at Tarland , aberdeenshire of the MacRobert's Reply memorial statue . They also had a flypast from RAF Lossiemouth of the Tornado also known as MacRobert's Reply

The sculptor of this Memorial "MacRobert's Reply " was DAVID ANNAND ..

(who also was the sulptor for the Jim Clark memorial , Sir Jimmy Shand statue, Scottish Independence Arbroath - Abbot of Arbroath & King Robert the Bruce statues at Arbroath .
.

Keptie · Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: MacRoberts Reply

Courier & Advertiser Thursday 2 September 2010 :

Craigie column:

POIGNANT GIFT:

Letham Reader Patrick W . Anderson writes , " The anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War for Britain in 1939 lands on September 3. The beginning started in Poland on September 1.

"It seems that many people are not aware of the donation of £25,000 LADY RACHEL MACROBERTS gave to the War Office in memory of her three sons , two of whom were casualties whilst serving with the Royal Air Force .

"Her eldest son, Alasdair , died in a flying accident in 1938 whilst Roderic and Iain both were killed in action during 1941.

"The donation was for the purchase of a Short Stirling Bomber that was named "MacRobert's Reply " and this aircraft was in service with 15 Squadron RAF. A second Stirling Bomber ws also given the same name.

"Since the Second World War , other aircraft serving with 15 Sqn RAF have carried the name MacRobert's Reply and had the MacRobert family crest on them ."

(thought this may be of general interest )

Patrick W Anderson

Tartan_Terrier · Joined: 25 Feb 2010 Posts: 5

The Stirling bomber W7531 'MacRobert's Reply' crashed a few miles from me. I'll see if I can post a photo of the memorial and of the graves of the crew if anyone is interested?

DelBoy · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:53 am Post subject: MacRobert Gliders

from the Glasgow Herald of 21st May 1964.

Derek.

Mike Morley · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 3:00 pm Post subject:

There is an article in the July/August 2019 issue of "History Scotland" about Lady MacRobert, her sons and Douneside House and includes a photograph of the bronze statue of "MacRobert's Reply".