Bonjour à tous
My connection to this forum and this thread is via Flt Sgt Archibald Blyth KIRKWOOD, who is also mentioned, a fellow pilot to J A MacDONALD, and H H MacKENZIE.
I was involved with BBC in Scotland in terms of tracing relatives of Flt Sgt Archibald Blyth KIRKWOOD, a fellow pilot of 198 Squadron.
See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 105889.stmThe purpose of my post here is to place on record my great and most sincere thanks, as well as the thanks of everyone in Ėcosse, for the tribute paid to these three RAF pilots.
4 years ago, in Larmor-Plage, I was present at a similar ceremony involving an uncle of my cousin, F/O Russell LYON, a spitfire pilot of 234 Squadron, shot down near L’Orient.
See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Russell_Lyonand
http://www.histoiredeploemeur.fr/page39.htmlEarlier this year, in February, I was also privileged to be present at the ceremony in La Poterie Cap d’Antifer, just to the north of Le Havre, commemorating the death of Pvt Hugh Duncan McDonald McINTYRE, ‘C’ Company, 2 Para, during the Bruneval Raid (also known as Operation Biting).
This ceremony took place on the 70th anniversary of the 1942 raid. A memorial parachute drop was planned by veterans of 2 Para, but had to be cancelled due to bad weather.
In this case I found 4 nieces, 2 of whom, from Canada, travelled to France for the ceremony.
See……..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... illed.html .
For some reason, in Ėcosse and the rest of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, we are reluctant to commemorate the memories of these heros; perhaps because it is seen as a glorification of war.
From my point of view I see it as only the commemoration of the sacrifice that they made; and I am very pleased to see that your community believe the same.
Back in 2008 in L’Armor Plage I kept asking people why so much honour was being paid to one Spitfire pilot.
The consistent answer was “C’est symbolique !” !
Once again, in the name of the descendants of Flt Sgt Archibald Blyth KIRKWOOD, F/O Russell LYON, Pvt Hugh Duncan McDonald McINTYRE, as well as J A MacDONALD, and H H MacKENZIE of 234 Squadron, my great thanks.
Orraverybest
David
David W Webster FSA Scot
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