NEW Zealand honorary consul Sir Neil McIntosh laid a wreath on a Scottish hillside yesterday in an Anzac Day tribute to two fallen airmen.
Flight Officers Harry Rice, 21, and Aubrey Clarke, 23, were remembered with an RAF flypast more than 70 years after their deaths in a training mission tragedy in East Lothian.
Members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the men took off in reduced visibility on a navigational mission in 1945. It is understood that a device failure in their Bristol Beaufighter aircraft may have contributed to the hillside crash that claimed their lives.
Yesterday relatives of the men joined dignitaries from Scotland and New Zealand for the unveiling of a memorial in their honour.
Bearing a detailed inscription, the standstone tribute was commissioned by Community Windpower, whose Aikengall Wind Farm now stands on Middle Monynut Farm by Dunbar, close to the crash site.
Approved by the War Graves Commission and the Ministry of Defence, it was covered by a specially-made cloth featuring both New Zealand Ensigns and Saltires before the official unveiling.
The event was held to coincide with Anzac Day, which commemorates Australians and New Zealanders who died in service, and serving members of the RAF and local schoolchildren were amongst those looking on through the proceedings, which featured prayer, poetry and piping.
Ahead of the service, Annie McNeur, niece of Fg Off Clarke, a jazz music fan who planned to become a teacher, said the “incredibly special” event would represent “a circle closing for our family”.
She commented: “His death reverberated very hard down the family.
“He and his RAF mates had many adventures. So although his death was a huge loss to our family, it gives me some consolation to know that he had some incredible adventures and experiences and fun, and lived his young life to the fullest.”
Ben Macpherson, Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development, represented the Scottish Government at the poignant service. He told The National: “The men and women of the New Zealand Defence Forces continue to serve side by side with the Royal Regiment of Scotland in conflicts across the globe.
“Anzac Day is a time to remember with pride those who have served, and those who still serve. I hope the memorial provides a future focus for remembering our New Zealand comrades for many years to come.”
Rod Wood of Community Windpower said the airmen’s story was personal to him, thanks to his pilot father George’s friendship with New Zealand counterpart Lach McKay. The men met as prisoners of war in the Stag Luft III camp, Poland. Wood said: “I’m confident that they would have been delighted that we are doing the right thing for Aubrey and Harry, installing a memorial stone on Anzac Day in their memory and for the other New Zealand airmen and airwomen who fell in the Second World War.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here