Well, it’s nice to see that the Warwick remains are still extant, but it looks to me as if they’ve been substantially disturbed. I hope there’s a good reason for this.

Personally, I now feel that crash site excavation ought to be confined to providing confirmation of an aircrafts ID, to assist an analysis of what actually happened or to provide parts or patterns to display as a museum exhibit or to help restore an airframe. If rooting around or moving wreckage doesn’t assist in this, I’d rather it was left alone – although I must admit, I was prone to looking for souvenirs in my callow youth.

I was satisfied and rather moved today when Joe, Al and I finally located wreckage from the Ju-188 near Rothes. On the other hand, it looked to me as if all the wreckage we found had been piled together which, whilst probably done with good intentions, makes it next to impossible to work out how the aircraft and its crew ended thier existence. However, finding such wreckage provides a conclusion to a paragraph in an article I recently submitted to my local newsletter:

Some time ago I used the Rothesian to enquire if readers had any memories of local wartime aircraft accidents in the Rothes area. I received a number of responses which helped me glean some historical information.
.On 24th September 1940, during a cross country exercise from RAF Kinloss, Whitley P5006 of 19 OTU crashed on Ben Aigen. All on board were killed. The crew consisted of
Flt Sgt C H Ashley
Sgt D S Proudfoot
Sgt N R Foley
Sgt E S Millard
Sgt P H Lucas DFM
Sgt I D S E Hay.
A friend of mine was in contact with Sgt Hays sister, Rhona Hay, who was born after her older brother had died in the accident. Rhona provided a map reference and asked us to take some photos of the cairn at the site which, as a 3 year old, she’d helped her father to build in 1945. We located the accident site in the woods on the north side of the large ravine which runs down the face of the hill. At the site were a few pieces of wreckage and a jumble of mossy rocks which looked as if they had been placed there. We cleaned off the moss and rebuilt the stones into a small cairn, and took some photos which we sent to Rhona. Although there is a cairn on the summit, I’m not sure this is related to the Whitley accident as many hills around here have a cairn on the summit. I think it more likely that the jumble of rocks we found were the remains of the memorial Rhona helped her father to build. It was satisfying to be able to add something to the story of this accident and to provide Rhona with a memento.

On 14th February 1942, Wellington N2825 from 20 OTU based at RAF Lossiemouth took off for night flying practice. Around 2335 hours the aircraft crashed at Drumbain. The accident was attributed to engine failure. Five of the crew were killed and Sgt Burr was found injured. The crew consisted of:
RAF PO Cobb, R E Captain (Pilot)
RAF PO Witter, A S (Pilot)
RAF Sgt H Clark, (Observer)
RAAF 407283 Sgt J Bishop, (Wireless Air Gunner)
RAAF 400344 Sgt J H Goldie, (Wireless Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt N A Burr, (Air Gunner)
Sgt’s Bishop and Goldie, both of The Royal Australian Air Force, are buried in Lossiemouth Cemetery.

On 21st June 1944, in the early hours, a German Ju 188F-1, Werke Nr 280608 A6+HH came down on the hill around 2 miles to the NW of Rothes. This was a reconnaissance aircraft based in Norway and it lost an engine, which came down 1/4 of a mile away. It was scattered wreckage that was found, some time later, with the crew dead. The crew, Fw F. Schanze, Oblt J. Winne and W. Sebisch are buried in Lossiemouth cemetery.

Thanks to everyone who helped. If there are any other wartime aircraft incidents in the vicinity of Rothes that I’ve missed, I’d be very interested to do some further research.

Only one more loose end to tie up – I have yet to find the Drumbain Wellington site but when I do, for me, it will be enough to know I’ve helped to ensure that this piece of local aviation history is accurately documented.

The film actually reminded me of when 1 Sqn Harrier GR.1s operated from the woods on the periphery of RAF Milltown in the very early 1970s.
Being an aviation-mad local schoolboy, me and some mates snuck in to have a look on a Sunday morning, and it was obvious there had been one hell of a party the night before.
An early-warning trip wire had been put up around the woods, with beer cans dangling which should have alerted the ‘groundies’ who were soundly snoring in their tents.
Once safely over the wire, we took photos of ourselves sitting in the Harriers cockpits, and clambered all over the aircraft, which were covered in plastic cammo netting.
We also found an old farm hut which was being used as an armoury, full of Sneb rocket pods, 30mm ammo, instruction manuals, and spares.
It’s simply outrageous when I think about it now, but one dim pal even had a dump right in the middle of the red ‘X’s on top of a wing. Every safety pin was pulled out of the parked armed aircraft, and together with Sneb rubber gaskets and manuals were taken home to sell or swap at school the next day.
I often wonder what the servicemen thought when they realised so much was missing, how many people we got into trouble, and horrified at the lives we risked.
Strange, we don’t get a mention in this article about the detachment though. Today’s kids seem like little angels….
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1972/1972%20-%201202.html

You visited twice if I recall correctly. On the occasion I went, I ended up chest deep in smelly, freezing cold goo after failing to leap the canal.

It was well worth it though.

Of course I did – don’t misunderestimate me.

It must be Milligan.

At the end of this clip from The Life of Brian, the sheer frustration, exasperation and defeat expressed in just his hands before he walks off is pure genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uywIYQEHZLs

Does a return trip in a Saunders-Roe N-6 from Southampton to Cowes in 1969 count?

No. Neither does leaping off a shed in a Superman cape.:)

My first flight was in the Scottish Malt Distillers Piper Aztec, G-ATLC, from Kinloss to Isla and back, flown by Ian Aitchison. I got a shot of the controls on the way home, and made some rather hung over company directors a bit grumpy.

Heard a rumour today that 4 Leuchars QRA Typhoons are moving to Lossiemouth in the next few weeks. Any confirmation? Any significance?

You may have been abducted by aliens, and subjected to all sorts of perverse experiments…

Nah. In my experience, aliens only ever abduct ****wits.

Call Centres

My bank, my broadband helpdesk and my credit card company find it hilariously amusing to talk to me in a ridiculous parody of an indian accent.

I do wish they would stop trying to be funny.