Kilt #48 is Here! RAF Tartan by Kathy Lare

[David Dalglish]

Thats one nice looking kilt Ron.

[Pour1Malt]

Very nice!

guid oan ya!

[Raftartan]

Ron can I use one of these images on the www.kamrafa.co.uk website beside the request for any information on your father's service with the RAF. I noticed a reference to someone thinking about making an unauthorised copy of the Royal Air force tartan which you correctly define as having a copy right which was a specific requirement before the tartan could be registered with that name.Any one contravening that copyright needs to be aware of that we will use all necessary legal options to protect this tartan. My preference would be that it should be recognised that a percentage of all sales are donated to the Royal Air Force charity fund which is only possible if the sourcing of the tartan is protected.

[Riverkilt]

Certainly RafTartan,

Let me know if you want me to send it direct or if you just wanna pull it out of my gallery or here.

My father was an idealistic Montana boy with a solid Scottish line on his father's side and a solid English line on his mother's.

A family story is that after he learned to fly at the Johnson Air Service in Missoula and the war started he went to Spokane, Washington to enlist in the RAF. When the RAF folks in Spokane checked his log book they told him he didn't have enough hours to meet their requirements and suggested he go down the hall to an empty room and "acquire" more flight time. He did and was accepted and they then shipped him off to British Refresher School in Imperial, California.

Finishing that he was sent by train to Nova Scotia, by ship to Scotland then to the receiving center in Bournemouth, and from there to the 59th Operational Training Unit where he got to be trained and in on the action all at the same time.

Ron

[Tattoo Bradley]

A family story is that after he learned to fly at the Johnson Air Service in Missoula and the war started he went to Spokane, Washington to enlist in the RAF. When the RAF folks in Spokane checked his log book they told him he didn't have enough hours to meet their requirements and suggested he go down the hall to an empty room and "acquire" more flight time. He did and was accepted and they then shipped him off to British Refresher School in Imperial, California.

Finishing that he was sent by train to Nova Scotia, by ship to Scotland then to the receiving center in Bournemouth, and from there to the 59th Operational Training Unit where he got to be trained and in on the action all at the same time.

Ron

What an amazing story, Ron. I love the old stories about the American boys who joined the RAF. Awesome awesome.

[Raftartan]

Thanks Ron. I have the picture downloaded and now having your agreement I will post on the kamrafa website.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks RAFTartan, happy to help.

If it fits with the format of the website, I'd feel better if Kathy Lare of Kathy's Kilts - a graduate of the Keith Kilt School - received appropriate credit for sewing up the kilt. She also helped smooth the shipping of the fabric from the UK to the USA.

Ron

[Raftartan]

Hi Ron,

I have created a link to Kathy Lare web site with a comment from a number of people in Scotland who were very impressed with her kilt making skills demonstrated well by your images. So far I have received no information regarding your fathers service with the Royal air Force but a number of people have visited the page specifically for that reason.
Horse riding in a kilt may catch on over here (Scotland) as the temperatures rise above zero.

[Riverkilt]

Very cool, think the link to Kathy's Kilts will be helpful.

Not sure exactly what you want about my father's service other than what is previously posted, but will take a stab at it.

The letter from the RAF Record and Pay office in Gloucester reads:

Certified True Statement of Service
605420 Macdonald, Ronald Grant

Enlisted - 11 April 1942
Discharged - 28 September 1942 (On enlistment into the United States Forces)
Trade on Discharge - Pilot
Rank on Discharge - Sergeant
Overall Conduct - Very Good

Its signed by P. S. Hurst for Air Officer Commanding and dated 20 January 1971

Happy to email you a copy if you'd like.

Dad also completed British Refresher School at the Aero Center in Imperial, California prior to being shipped to England via Nova Scotia and Scotland. He signed up in Spokane, Washington when the war started but, of course, the enlistments weren't "legal" until they reached Great Britain.

Censorship was harsh back then but the letters home that aren't cut up by the censors hint at action and he was part of the Dieppe Raid.

A letter from the Ministry of Defence, RAF Personnel Management Centre dated 11 Jan 1980 states that while in the RAF Sgt R. G. Macdonald (605420) served in No 3 PRC 13 May 42 and No 59 Operational Training Unit 14 Jul 42. He was not assigned to any specific squadron before transfering to the Army Air Corps 346th Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron.

I have his original Temporary Certificate of Discharge from the RAF showing his No 605420 Rank Sgt. Name and Initials McDonald R.G. and Trade Pilot and the note, "Certified that the above named was discharged from the Royal Air Force on 28th Sept 1942 for enlistment into the 8th Air Foce of the United States Army on 29th Sept 1942. There's an unreadable signature for Aire Commodore Air Officer i/c Records, ROYAL AIR FORCE the certificate is dated 29 September 1942.

Not much to do with kilts other than the reason I wanted the RAF tartan kilt and the reason I wear it with pride...even on horseback...

Ron

[Tattoo Bradley]

Man, I love this kind of stuff! Fascinating.