Hardback book ‘An Expendable Squadron’ by Roy Conyers Nesbit, 2014. A history of Coastal Command’s 217 Squadron which flew bombing raids out of St Eval, Cornwall, into France during WWII. Relates to archive item 2020.1.70 about RAF Pilot Officer Charles MacLean, grandson of Lachlan MacLean, Kenovay.
Hardback book ‘Woe to the Unwary’ by Roy Conyers Nesbit, 1981. Detailed and graphic account of life and operational flying by a young RAF airman during WWII. Based on the navigation logs of the author while he was serving with Squadron No. 217 flying Bristol Beaufort bombers out of St Eval, Cornwal in 1941. Relates to archive item 2020.1.70 about RAF Pilot Officer Charles MacLean, grandson of Lachlan MacLean, Kenovay.
Scanned copy of a newspaper obituary for Captain Allan Campbell (b. ca 1900), Scarinish, in around 1980. Allan Campbell was a deep-sea mariner all his life, including serving in the Merchant Navy during WWII.
Click here to view 2020.52.6
Original ‘Application for a Permit under the Defence Regulations’ by John Hay of Edinburgh, to enter the Island of Tiree for the purpose of labouring in the employment of Melville, Duncan and Whitson in 1942. During WWII, Tiree was a Protected Area. The application is verified by Robert Williams, Glasgow.
Click here to view 2020.50.2
An ‘Active Service RAF Privilege’ envelope addressed to Mrs V R Harvey, Hastings, stamped 12 October 1942 , Crossapol, Tiree, containing a series of letters from her husband Harry Harvey who served at RAF Tiree during WWII. In the letters Harry expresses how homesick he is, how he misses his wife and child, and his frustration at missing several shots at the island’s wildlife. The letters were opened and approved by the Postal Censorship Authorities before delivery.
Click here to view 2020.50.1 letters
Black and white photograph of L-R (back): Peggy MacIntosh, Duncan MacPhee, Morag MacPhee. L-R (front) Henry and Willie MacPhee. The photograph was taken at the back of MacPhee’s house, Staffa View, in Scarinish in around 1942.
Montage of a photograph of Raymond Hartshorn, a page from his RAF flight log May-June 1945, noting ‘VE Day May 8th’, and a poem written by him about flying. Raymond Hartshorn was stationed at RAF Tiree during WWII, flying with 518 Squadron Meteorological Observers, and was a member of a crew sent out over the Atlantic in search of a missing aircraft: “23/1/45. 1405. Halifax LL511. Pilot: F/L. Eastman. A.S.R. search for W/C Morris and crew – unsuccessful. Flying times: 4.20 day, 1.25 night.”
Account of a supernatural event in 1979 witnessed at the scattering of the ashes of Captain James Campbell, skipper of the sunken ship ‘MacDhui’. James Campbell (1900-1978), Tiree emigrated to Australia in 1926.
Click here to view 2020.38.1
Photocopy of the UK Court of Inquiry Report into the demise of the Fokker XXII aircraft ‘Sylvia Scarlet’, which crashed at Loch Tarbert after taking off from Tiree in 1943. The crew of four, including pilot Flight Lieutenant Knox, and 15 passengers were all killed.
Click here to view 2020.24.1
Small brass eagle mounted on the brass ‘lid’ of a missile shell, probably from RAF Tiree during WWII. Unknown origin and purpose.
