MacRobert's Reply - 'F' XV Sqn

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

In today's Torygraph - their facsimilie of WW2 front covers - it was reported that 70 years ago today (23 Aug 41) Lady Rachael MacRobert gifted £25,000 to the Air Ministry for the purchase of a Stirling bomber in remembrance of her sons who were lost whilst in the Service.

The first ac was commissioned at RAF Wyton on 10 Oct 41; Lady MacRobert told the crew of 'F' XV Sqn:

" The best of good luck boys, always, and whenever and wherever you go. I know you will strike hard, sharp, and straight to the mark. That is the only language the enemy understands. My thoughts and thousands of other mothers are with you, and we are truly grateful to all concerned. Also thanks to those of you who have the care of my 'Reply' and prepare her for her flights. May the blows you strike bring us nearer victory. God bless you all".


Duncs:ok:

[foldingwings]

And F for Freddie - McRobert's Reply still flies today on XV Squadron!

We had a Bucc (Airframe Foxtrot) at Laarbruch named in recognition of the gift and there is a Tornado at Lossie that carries the tradition onward today.

Foldie:)

[engineer(retard)]

and there is still the annual castle flypast :ok:

[A2QFI]

What a great gesture by Lady McRoberts! How good that we keep "F" in squadron service. The timescale is interesting too; 7 weeks from gift to aircraft dedication!

[DHI]

And after the Bucc, the crest was applied to a Tornado soon after at Laarbruch carrying on the fine tradition, Also coded F while the rest of our fleet were coded EA thru EZ as required!!

[onemac]

And there's this:

Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=57.712888,-3.305404&spn=0.00447,0.013733&z=17&vpsrc=6)

Al :D

[Scuttled]

Lady MacRoberts also, after the war, donated a Scottish baronial pile called Alastrean House which is located outside Aberdeen to the RAFBF to look after retired ex-RAF personnel as a nursing home. I think I'm correct in saying Lady MacRoberts lost a son in a pre-war flying accident and her remaining 2 sons in combat.

It was an excellent place to spend one's twilight years until cruelly closed down in some cost cutting exercise about a decade ago. Many wonderful ladies and gentlemen enjoying their latter days (particularly in the bar I recall) were betrayed by this decision.

All the veterans, including some married couples, who had sold all their belongings to move into Alastrean House, were then farmed out away from their ex-service peers to other random local care homes. There were some real characters and genuine heroes amongst them.

[BBadanov]

We had a Bucc (Airframe Foxtrot) at Laarbruch named in recognition of the gift and there is a Tornado at Lossie that carries the tradition onward today.

That's right Foldie. The MacRobert's crest was applied to the port nose of XV Sqn Bucc 'F' with the white inscription "MacRobert's Reply". This was in either 1981 or 1982, and the Bucc was XT287. I have a pic of it flying over the Rhein in early 1983.

XT287 'F' stayed until the Tornado arrived in July 1983 (when a Tornado 'F' was similarly marked), and was then absorbed into 16 Sqn.

[4thright]

I hadn't appreciated such had befallen Alastrean.. and its venerable residents.:{ Appalling and IMO far more noteworthy than if we keep up an aircraft marking tradition. The Lady herself would have been heart broken at such an event... But so symptomatic of how things have changed for the worse since The Lady bought the nation a Bomber and her noble family spirit served the nation so gallantly.

[hum]

The house is another great legacy of Lady MacRobert's whose final resting place ISTR is in the grounds by a big old oak tree.

Douneside House Conference Centre and Services Holiday Country House (http://www.dounesidehouse.co.uk/index.htm)

She also contributed towards 4 x fighters according to Time magazine:

Lady MacRobert took out her pen and checkbook again. She sent Sir Archibald Sinclair £20,000 to purchase four fighter planes for use "on fronts where they could aid Russia." She asked that three of the planes be named for her sons, that the fourth be called "MacRobert Salute to Russia (Lady)." "Had I been a man, I, too would have flown," said gallant Lady MacRobert.

[Kilonovember52]

Info on McRoberts reply here:

MacRobert's Reply (http://www.philipjeffs.dsl.pipex.com/mrr/N6086.htm)

[Dan Gerous]

Seen on the 4th May earlier this year, in the Moffat

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/toom317/Mac-Rob-01.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/toom317/Mac-Rob-02.jpg

[30mRad]

Alastrean House was still going strong in 2003 when me and a few guys from XV(R) went down to do some painting and gardening and meeting and greeting the old folks. In fact, Lord Tedder's daughter was a resident. V sad if it has gone since then.

[matkat]

BBadanov, it must have been 1981 as I was on XV Squadron when we received new colours and Lady McRoberts (or Her Husband) was invited to pass them over, believe me that was some day:ok:

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

Looks like the work of Lady MacRobert is still going strong!

The MacRobert Trust (http://www.themacroberttrust.org.uk/)

Duncs:ok:

[radar101]

It was an excellent place to spend one's twilight years until cruelly closed down in some cost cutting exercise about a decade ago. Many wonderful ladies and gentlemen enjoying their latter days (particularly in the bar I recall) were betrayed by this decision.

The MacRobert Trust website seems to give a different view:


Alastrean House, originally known as House of Cromar, was built at the turn of the century as the home of the Marquis of Aberdeen. Completed in 1905, the House and associated 9,000 acre estate was acquired by Sir Alexander MacRobert, owner of the nearby Douneside Estate, in 1918. The House passed to Lady MacRobert in 1934 when Lord Aberdeen died. Alastrean House became part of the operation of the Balhousie Care Group in March 2005, although the House is still owned by The MacRobert Trust.

Both Alastrean House and Douneside House also have memorial purposes in perpetuity and these are described in the Trust Deed. Douneside House is maintained as a memorial to the family of Sir Alexander MacRobert whilst Alastrean House is maintained as a memorial to the three MacRobert sons.


... as does the Care Home itself:


For many years Alastrean House was the Scottish showpiece of the RAF Benevolent Fund. To this day, the home still has strong and proud links with the RAF Benevolent Fund. The home has been operated by Balhousie Care Group since 2005, and is open to all residents regardless of background and an RAF connection is not required. However, some of the rooms continue to be sponsored by the RAF Benevolent Fund which can in some circumstances provide top-up funding to augment local authority payment towards care costs.

[Scuttled]

Radar 101

I may have missed it, but what is your point?

Mine was that until fairly recently it was a RAFBF home purely for those who served, or had close relatives who served, in the Royal Air Force. I too met Lord Tedder's daughter and spent time with her and perused her father's papers at Alastrean. Wonderful Lady.

Now it is just another care home, but with a proud history of serving former RAF personnel. Some 'retirees' of the RAF are still resident with financial assistance from the BF, in much the same way the BF supports aged airmen in need anywhere else. Quite properly.

But it ain't what it was and we are poorer for it's loss.

[pr00ne]

Scuttled,


I suspect that the point is that you claimed that the place was "cruelly closed down in some cost cutting exercise about a decade ago" and that clearly isn't the case.

[Scuttled]

Oh yes, I see, thanks. But it was closed down as an RAFBF facility and leased to the private sector as a profit making facility.

So I think we have lost it, it's just another home with a bit of history of looking after airmen, but I'll shut up now as the point has been made. I was quite angry when it happened and was given a damn good ignoring, so this was just an oportunity to vent a little.

Back to lurking.

[Roadster280]

Here's some info on the original, a bit about the Stirling, and from 4:00 onwards LS-F:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaN91_NGJoI&feature=player_embedded

Made the hairs on my arms stand up! I find it hard to believe that the spirit shown in this movie clip, and the story of MacRobert's Reply have degenerated into the disgusting scenes seen recently in the major cities of the UK. Lady MacRobert must have been spinning in her grave.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

Seventy years ago today, on 12 Oct 1941, Stirling bomber N6086 of No XV Sqn, Captained by Fg Off P Boggis and named 'MacRobert's Reply', flew its first operational sortie when it attacked Nuremberg.

Duncs:ok:

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

XV Sqn Association website has a piece on Sqn Ldr Peter James Somerville Boggis DFC:

http://www.xvsqnassociation.co.uk/archive/2010%20Newsletter%20WEB.pdf

Duncs:ok:

[Reverserbucket]

My Grandfather served with 94 Sqn, '40 -'45 and had a nice collection of photos taken whilst in North Africa of which I'm certain I recall seeing at least one Spitfire (or was it a Hurricane) with the MacRobert's thistle noseart. Google does not yield any information however and I shall try and dig out the photo's for confirmation.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

I believe that Lady MacRobert paid for 4 Hurricanes for 94 Sqn - the sqn that one of her sons was on when killed.

Duncs:ok:

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

Here is a picture of a MacRobert Hurricane:

P03982.001 | Australian War Memorial (http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/P03982.001)

Duncs:ok:

[Reverserbucket]

Duncs,

Thanks, that was one of them and of course they were Hurri's not Spit's. I seem to remember them being taken close up so making identification a little harder.

[Brian Abraham]

Lady Houston is another grand Lady who did much in supporting the armed forces, and aviation in particular. The impetus she gave to the development of engine technology, through support of the Schneider Racers, was vital to WWII, and the BoB in particular (Merlin engine).

The Merlin was probably the most important power plant of WWII - Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Mosquito, Mustang.

As Arthur Sidgreaves, the managing director of Rolls Royce, commented at the time: “It is not too much to say that research for the Schneider Trophy contest over the past two years is what our aero-engine department would otherwise have taken six to 10 years to learn.”

Does the RAF honour her in any way?

[NutLoose]

The full size plastic Careers information Tornado was also done in the scheme, we resprayed it when the wings were split so the Scaffolding planks ( I kid you not) used to strengthen them could be removed and a steel frame added, so stores could be hung on it.....
What ever happened to it and the Jag?

[fincastle84]

The Merlin was probably the most important power plant of WWII

My late mother worked on the RR production line during WW2. On a visit to the Imperial War Museum she proudly showed me the fuel pipe which she shaped & then fitted. What a woman!!