A nice story...

[yellowinkilts]

Hello everyone - haven't been around much what with impending exams and the laptop breaking down!

I thought I would share a nice little story I discovered the other day. I was visiting my Great Uncle (my Mother's uncle) as it was his 78th birthday on Friday. He was telling us old stories about the war; he served in the RAF during WWII.

Anyway, he started speaking about his father (my Great Grandfather) who apparently served in the British Army during World War One. Here goes the story:

It was one of the many battles in France and the British Army was retreating, my Great Grandfather was not serving in a Scottish Regiment but it seems one of the Scottish Regiments were fighting in the same battle. As they were retreating under fire one of the Scottish soldiers was shot in the leg and fell. Two soldiers were chosen to go back for the Scotsman on horseback. One was my Great Grandfather, the other upon reaching the shot soldier was shot and killed unfortunately. My Great Grandfather saved the Scottish soldiers life in the end.

My Great Uncle said "In those days Scottish soldiers wore kilts to war"!

Anyway - the point of the story is that about 15 years later my Great Grandfather was walking somewhere in Aldwych (London) and quite unexpectedly came across this Scotsman who reminded him that he had savid his life. Apparently they had a drink together!

I don't know how much truth is in the story but it is a nice one to hear anyway.

Cheers.

[Riverkilt]

Great story,

Methinks thou needest a Royal Air Force tartan to celebrate your great uncle's service. Though he must have been a wee lad of 16 when War 2 ended. But the tartan celebrates his service and is quite beautiful.






My father flew for the RAF in 1942 and Cessna's dad was in the RAF...a bunch of RAF descendents on this board.

Good luck trying to find an RAF kilt pin though...so far, they're missing in action although Alexis Malcolm is looking into offering one.

Ron

[pdcorlis]

Great story - and I'll second Ron's suggestion for an RAF tartan kilt!

[McMurdo]

Wonderful story, the first thing I thought was that you should have an RAF tartan kilt.

[thescot]

Tthanks for the story.

[Kiltman]

I third it. RAF kilt it should be. What a wonderful story! By the way, those of us that are Celts come from a long line of people who never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[yellowinkilts]

That's a stunning tartan - where could I get a RAF tartan kilt?!

[cessna152towser]

Here is a link to information about the RAF tartan.
http://www.kamrafa.co.uk/
My late father served in the RAF from 1940 to 1946; he was based in Canada with 36 SFTS at Gananoque, Ontario and Penhold, Alberta, from 1941 to 1943 and then with 57MU on the Solway coast, hence my involvement with the Solway Aviation Museum. My RAF kilt is pleated to the sett and is worn in honour of my late father; for servicemen and ex-servicemen they are normally pleated to the stripe.

[Pleater]

And another one - my Dad worked on the engines of Manchesters, Lancasters, Typhoons, and went through France and Germany.

His squadron shared aerodromes with American ones and I know he worked on Dacotas from time to time, and flew to France on the Sunday after D Day in one. He was working on rocket firing Typhoons (Tiffies) around that time, going after trains in France.

He used to be 'borrowed' by other dispersals to look at their problem aircraft - he used to be asked to go to find out why neighbour's cars would not start in later life, as he had a gift for finding faults.

He only served with the RAF for the duration, but I think they were the best years of his life.

I really will have to think about getting some RAF tartan - blue is my favourite colour and that is a really nice one, the more I look at it the better it seems.