19 OTU Memorial, RAF Forres, News Page


News

Do to various reasons I have a back log of mail concerning the OTU, if you are expecting a reply please be patient. Also junk mail continues to deluge my in box, my filters are "sometimes very good at filtering", please put No 19 Operational Training Unit as the subject header in your mail, it could help it get through to me.
Ted Hutchinson and his Son Clive, please get in touch. address on the contact page

Nov 2007

Wreaths were laid on behalf of The Lord Leutenant of Moray, by acting Lord Lieutenant of Moray, Duncan Dunbar-Nasmith, RAF Kinloss by acting Station Commander, Wing Commander Rob Wigham, Eric Munro from the Forres Branch of the British Legion, and by Moray Council member for Forres, Mr Jeff Hamilton. (Click images to enlarge)

Nov 2006
	Wreaths were laid on behalf of RAF Kinloss by Gp Capt Jerry Kessel, Moray Council and The Royal British Legion.
Nov 2005
Wreaths were laid on behalf of RAF Kinloss, Moray Council and The Royal British Legion.
Oct 2005
I received this note from Alan Leishman concerning AD712 along with some images which I will place on the site. He reported "Members of the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum (links) and the Midland Aircraft Recovery Group investigated the crash site of Whitley AD712 which crashed during 1944. At 0933 hrs on the 30th of August Whitley , Mk V coded ZV-L , AD712 of 19 OTU took off from RAF Kinloss on a cross country exercise. At the controls was Canadian pilot , Sgt. Frank L Frank. Whilst flying over the Gargunnock hills near Stirling the aircraft encountered thick cloud and the pilot lost control. The aircraft was seen to dive out of the cloud at a steep angle followed by pieces of structure. The aircraft hit the ground and burst into flames killing all of the crew , one hour and thirty three minutes into the flight. John Struthers , a school boy at the time , remembers seeing pieces of fabric falling down five miles from the crash site. At the crash site the tail was lying in a burn and there was a pile of smouldering wreckage , all that remained of a Whitley aircraft. Sixty one years later the area was searched using magnetometers from the EOD and a couple of deep signals were traced. John Struthers used his own JCB to open up a large hole above the first signal. Numerous pieces of fragmented wreckage was found along with the pilots bomb release panel and various cockpit items. At a depth of eight feet a prop boss was found minus the prop blades. The hole was extended and around fifteen feet away was found the other prop boss. Unfortunately no engines were found but two engine driven generators and an inertia starter were found. It looked like the recovery crew had taken most of the Whitley and threw back what was not of any use. Once the wreckage was cleaned a few more interesting items came to light including the main aerial mast, interior lamp and part of the navigational computer. One of the most interesting part of all, was part of a Mk. X1V bomb sight which was probably an OTU modification."
July 2004
Roll of Honour Updated. When the memorial was built it was and still is my intention to have a book bearing the names of all those lost in the service of the OTU placed in one of the local churches.
March 2004
A very interesting story comes from Kenneth Charles McHardy via his son, Andrew. Andrew's contribution:
"Dear Sir I am in the process of typing my father's boyhood memories of wartime in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire. My fathers name is Kenneth Charles McHardy who is now 76 years old and lives in Aberdeen. He was contacted by the children of Strathdon Primary School for his memories as part of their history lessons into this period. I was very interested to see on your website an event which he remembered only too well. Although he had placed it earlier in the war than was indeed the fact. I have corrected his recollections as a result. Perhaps you will be interested in his memories of the crash involving Whitley Bomber Z9156 which crash landed in Strathdon. "On the 9th of February 1943 a RAF twin engine Whitley Bomber (Z9156) experienced engine problems while on a training flight. It had flown from No.19 Operational Training Unit at Balnagaith near Forres. The pilot advised the crew to bail out as he was going to attempt an emergency landing; it being perceived safer for the crew to have left the plane by means of their parachutes in advance. Only the rear gunner actually bailed out. The pilot managed to land his plane on its belly on a flattish piece of ground in Glenernan near the Croft of Relaquheim. He and the remaining crew managed to walk to the croft house where Annie Stewart lived alone. When they knocked at the door they were met by Annie and her twelve bore shotgun which she was quite capable of using. Thankfully Annie did not add a harp to their wings and they were directed to safety. I can remember visiting the plane with my friends. It was a big local attraction. It was eventually dismantled and taken away on large transporter lorries. But what of the tail gunner who bailed out of the plane? He was not found for some time. Morrison of Loinheary had noticed a piece of snow on the hillside which had not gone with the suns rays. When he went to investigate he found the body of the missing rear gunner and the white silk parachute which he had mistaken for snow". Best Regards Andrew J. McHardy Aberdeen"
Feb 2004
The Roll of Honour continues to expand, and again I am indebted to one Linzee ("snowcloud") Druce for putting me in contact with Arthur ("Digger") Arculus of NZ and in particular Doreen Bowyer of NZ (Via Arthur) who has with her family's consent has contributed to the Roll of Honour.

November 2003 Wreaths were laid on behalf of the RAF by Group Captain Garfield Porter, Moray Council and The Royal British Legion.

July 2003 The Roll of Honour continues to expand, courtesy of relatives of the crews who gave their lives in service of the RAF and the Commonwealth
November 2002 Wreaths were laid on behalf of the RAF, Moray Council and The Royal British Legion.
May 2002 (inserted August!)
I was delighted to host a visit of Joe Tucker, Nephew of the Joe Tucker mentioned on the site. See below to read a fascinating story by Martin Perratt who helped this friendship develop.
April 2002
Elliot Smock's Silverwings - Research & Resource (UK), news of a Whitley Project can be found here.
November 2001 Wreaths were laid by Moray Council member for Forres West, Mr Alasdair Urquhart, and Group Captain Steve Skinner BSc, RAF, Commanding Officer Royal Air Force Kinloss.
October 2001
More contributions from former members of the Operational Training Unit and their relatives continue to add to the site. I hope to build a bigger picture of the 19 OTU course by using different crew member log book extracts. For example, Sgt Mundy, Bomb Aimer, shows positive evidence of the 1942 policy that one member of the crew should have a small amount of 'Link' training as well as some time at the controls of the aircraft. This was initially given to the "Air Bombers" on the crew, and then later the Flight Engineer. (On the 4 engine heavies) Contributions of anecdotal information are always welcome. (See contact page for address)
November 2000 Remembrance Sunday
Tributes were laid by Forres British Legion President, Mr Douglas Gordon, Moray Council member for Forres West, Mr Alasdair Urquhart, and Group Captain Steve Skinner BSc, RAF, Commanding Officer Royal Air Force Kinloss. [Picture]
September 2000
A new section to the site has been added courtesy of Edward (Ted) Hutchinsonm and his son Clive. It is based on Ted's memories of No 19 OTU and his service at RAF Kinloss and Forres. As consequence the Aircraft codes and serials etc has been moved to it's own area as part of the 19 OTU information.
August 2000
August highlights the news provided by Martin Perratt of Glasgow earlier in July this year. The crew of Whitley AD712 of No 19 Operational Training Unit, RAF fell shortly after 11am. GMT on the 30th of August 1944. In commemoration, a small tribute to the crew of AD712 was placed at the foot of the cairn 56 years to the time of the loss.
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July 2000
This month has brought some remarkable news and has put people with a common interest in touch with each other. A very welcome contribution has been made by the nephew of an airman who was lost while serving with No 19 OTU during 1944. F/O J W Tucker and his fellow crew were killed on a navigation and cross country exercise on 30 August 1944 when Whitley Mk. V, AD712 crashed seven miles south-west of Kippen, Stirling. Four Canadian members of the crew were interred in the Churchyard of Cadder cemetery just north of Bishopbriggs. Unbeknown to Joe Tucker nephew of F/O Tucker, the family of Martin S Perratt, have for the past ten years been faithfully placing a single flower on each of these RCAF graves on each Remembrance Sunday. Martin found this site during his internet browsing and made contact with the web owner. The story continue in his words: "May I first say that I was most touched by your web-site and the obvious depth of sincerity of your tribute to No 19 OTU. Your site is a most fitting memorial to all those who made the supreme sacrifice and those who luckily survived. I could not believe my eyes when on browsing your site F/O Tucker's name appeared. On viewing his photograph I was almost moved to tears. My children were stunned. My involvement with F/O Tuckers` grave and those of his fellow crewmen goes back 10 years. My late father was in the RAF in WW2. Happily he survived and died in 1988. He instilled in me a sense of debt towards the war dead. This, he developed in me, in addition to an interest in aircraft and WW2 history in general. Now, aged 45, I have dutifully done the same with my children : Martin Jnr (13) and Claire (10). For the past ten years we have faithfully placed a single flower on each of these RCAF graves on Remembrance Sunday. I first "discovered" the war graves of F/O Tucker and his colleagues in the late 1980`s and could not fathom out why four Canadians would be buried there. They had all died on the same day: 30 August 1944. This surely had to mean that they were all on the same aircraft...whatever its fate had been. On having recently joined the internet the answers gradually come to light. Earlier this year I made contact with a Richard Koval who maintains a website of RCAF history with an emphasis on more recent years who provided details of the demise of AD712. I am certainly not the only person to place flowers on these young men`s graves as on occasions outwith Remembrance Sunday I have found flowers on their graves placed by others . Another mystery? Perhaps not. I most certainly do not wish to arrogantly grab the sole right to respect the sacrifice of these fine young men who so tragically had their lives cut short. Others in addition to ourselves would appear to wish to remember them. I do not have any objections to your "recording my actions" on site but wonder that my actions and that of my children are not worthy of mention both in the scale of your tribute and those of the other unknown visitors...whoever they may be. I am always so humbled when I visit those graves. When I next visit them I will be able to envision Joe Tucker as I look at his grave...thanks to you." Martin S Perratt, Glasgow [Joe and Martin are now in direct contact via e@mail]
1999 Remembrance Day
Tributes were laid by Forres British Legion President, Mr Douglas Gordon, Moray Council members for Forres, Mr Rex McIntosh [Central] and Mr Ian Young, [East], and Group Captain Stu Butler RAF, Commanding Officer Royal Air Force Kinloss. [Picture]
Medal Award - April 1998
In recognition of the Association's commemoration of the presence of Polish troops in Scotland the Government of Poland, on the recommendation of the Edinburgh based Consul General, has approved the medal award :
"The Custodian of Places of National Remembrance"
Remembrance Day 1997
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