Nice one Shaws !

Must visit the spot on my next trip back to the Borders.

I am sure if Cesar is still an active member he will be grateful for your efforts.

Thanks ! :)

If you require me to show you where the site is, feel free to message me, and indeed any reader who would like to go. The site is near impossible to find unless you're a local.


The memorial stone is not the original. The original was a stone cross with the name plate of the pilot etc, i believe the same name plate is used today. The original memorial deteriorated over the years. I'm not 100% sure when the stone was replaced with the one which is in my photo, i'd hazard a guess somewhere very late 80's to very early 90's ( 1989 - 1991)

Both memorial stone's (initial one and present one) is situated exactly where the plane impacted the ground.

I'm still trying to reseach anything i can find out about the pilot, Cesar. This is purely for personal interest only. If anyone is reading this and knew Cesar, please feel free to get in touch.

Thanks.

Will do Shaws. Born Gala, had business in Selkirk, worked in Melrose Hydro at time of accident. Interested in visiting site.

Cheers
El G.

Will do Shaws. Born Gala, had business in Selkirk, worked in Melrose Hydro at time of accident. Interested in visiting site.

El Grifo - Whilst appreciating that, as a professional photographer, you may have been distracted by the "Bad Man" thread on JB:), I wondered whether my last PM had borne any fruit regarding another "accident" in the Selkirk area.

Jack

El G

Was your business operated from a shop at the corner of Tower St, oppostite the chippy ?

Union Jack, I sent you a pm a while ago. Did you not receive it ?

Yep Shaws. I had a shop/office there but my actual Studio was in Gala.

https://youtu.be/2-dKRdGifZc

A small amateur video.....

Nice one mate. Your video sparked of a bit of emotion here, a few thousand miles from Selkirk. We hijacked the Hotel Minibus and roared up to Bowhill as soon as the report came through. Nothing we could do of course !
Saludos. Ronn

Thanks.....

I was chasing daylight on Saturday night as action camera sd memory card decided to pack in, so had to nip back to Selkirk for another, then back up to the Estate, by that time it was 1900 hrs. Then a quick stride up the hill, was out of puff. As soon as i put the camera on, my memory went blank. ha. Sods law.

But i got there in the end, dodgy commentary but the main points were covered.

There were other things I left out, such as the line out was infact to find human remains, the sight of burnt trees, smell of aviation fuel, etc

I'm hoping one day the video will find it's way to Pimampiro Ecuador, so the Lieutenants family and friends know he is still in our hearts and minds.

His wife was due in a few weeks. He was the better of the two Equadorian. A friendly chap.
I was 17. New to the RAF. New to my first squadron. Number 19 of 1 line 226 OCU was my first see off. It never returned!

Cheers Cloggy2

It's odd how this accident has embedded on folks minds and remained all this time.....I don't know why, just cannot explain it.

Perhaps because it's not a normal occurrence for a military jet to crash into a forest, more so nearly taking out a large stately home.... i don't know, but it has etched on many peoples minds here on the Estate.

For me personally, being of young age at that time, it's something that has never left me. The older I get the more I want to find out.......again I can't really explain why my interest has grown over the years, could be the power of the internet by having the ability to search with more details becoming available , whereas a few years back, there was nothing to search.

Over the last handful of years i've learnt more about this sad event. One of my main questions I hope will one day be answered is what distracted the pilot......there was a suggestion of distraction and / or disorientation......I wonder if the RAF actually know more now than they did back then.

I still feel saddened about Cesar, I never met him, I don't know his family or friends, yet I feel i do know him slightly.....unexplainable, but it's all psychology I suppose.

I'll continue to search and maybe one day someone reading the internet will know the answers and email me..... fingers X'd.

Just a small update....

Managed to get the video seen by residents in Pimampiro, however, as yet never heard back from some that I messaged, namely one from this site who was seeking photos and any other information, albeit their request was from back in 2010.

Additionally, the video was added on this website after I made a post to the site...

http:// viviendolos55.********.co.uk/ 2014/06/123-primer-aviador.html?showComment=1460895976326#c9119240850535045738


I'll always hope to find out a little more history of Lt. Cesar short life. It's just something I feel would be self fulfilling.

Regards.

There is one last statement missing from the video, "Despite the findings of the Military Board of Inquiry being inconclusive, the Lord Advocate did not hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry - Reasons unknown"

DV

Thanks DV, very interesting....

Added your input into the description field on You-Tube.

Hi guys, anyone still around ?

There's been a development, I will keep you updated soon.

In Pailmerk Country right now Shaws !
What gives ?
El G.

Shaws, I'd answer but I'm too busy gawking at your pic on post #20..

Chaps, I've been contacted by Lt Aguirre's son, Raul. Very proud moment. :-)

I'm communicating back and forth via email.

I have stumbled across this post whilst researching Jaguar losses in Northern England and Southern Scotland. We are in the early stages of planning a possible memorial, to another 226 OCU pilot who was sadly killed.

I was unaware that a memorial existed at this crash site and I was wondering how permission is gained to go and pay it a visit.

I would also be interested in any photos of the pilot if any have been forthcoming from the family.

For anyone on Facebook, the group I am involved with has a page at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/aciauk/

We have been researching crashed aircraft for a number of years and we have been involved in the several memorial projects.

Looking forward to any replies.

Hi

You don't require permission to visit the crash site. The issue you will have is finding it.
There are photos and info on this thread regarding the Accident at Bowhill, which should be helpful to you.

I have photos of the pilot recently emailed to me by the pilots son. His son was born just after the accident. He made contact with me after his step father found the video on You-Tube which I created remembering the incident.

Feel free to get in touch with me if you'd like to visit the site.

Regards.