A decade-long search for the family of a Fife war hero is over after a poignant D-Day web search threw up a Courier article.
Kenneth Dobbie, from Glasgow, spotted our story about his uncle Frederick following last week’s TV coverage of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings.
And it means a memorial to Frederick Dobbie, from Lassodie near Dunfermline, and two other air crewmen killed in a Second World War crash will now include his photograph.
Kenneth said the timing of our June 1 article was extremely fortunate.
“I had known my uncle’s story for most of my life and I knew there was some information on the War Graves Commission site online,” he said.
“Following some coverage of the D-Day commemorations, I thought I would look into it some more.
“I was astonished when I put in my uncle’s name and up popped your article from a few days before.
“If it had been published a week later, I may never have seen it.”
80th anniversary of Frederick Dobbie’s death is approaching
Aviation archaeologist Jonny McNee issued one last appeal for information about Frederick Dobbie’s family as the 80th anniversary of the August 29 crash approaches.
The 20-year-old Sub Lieutenant died alongside 19-year-old crewmates Sub Ltn Dennis Oxley and Leading Airman Derek Mew when their plane crashed just outside Londonderry in Northern Ireland.
Jonny and a group of Londonderry school pupils have been working on licensed digs of the boggy crash site for 10 years.
And they are now preparing a floating memorial to the three servicemen.
Jonny said that while they had photographs of Mr Oxley and Mr Mew, it was “poignantly sad” they did not have one of Frederick.
However, Kenneth said: “I’ve now sent a picture to Jonny and he has sent me back a lot of information about the work he and the students are conducting.”
Plan to visit grave of Fife war hero
Kenneth is the son of Frederick’s younger brother Alexander, who was 18 at the time of the tragedy.
They also had an older brother Andrew, who was based at the same Fleet Air Arm station as Frederick.
The three airmen were were returning from the Fleet Air Arm base RNAS Maydown to HMS Peewit in East Haven, Angus, when tragedy struck.
Their bodies were finally recovered 27 years later and buried together in a nearby cemetery.
Kenneth remembers his grandparents – Frederick’s parents – Alexander and Jessie attending the funeral ceremony in 1971.
“Jonny has sent me some archive photos of that, which is fantastic,” he said.
“While I knew about that, I was completely unaware of the recent archaeological works and the planned memorial.
“I do plan to visit Maydown and Jonny has offered to show me round.
“He says he’ll take me to the graveyard, the runway where the plane took off and the site of the crash.
“This is such a generous offer and it really is appreciated.”
‘Lovely to know people are still remembering my uncle’
Ken added: “I’m really grateful you ran the story because, while I was planning to visit the graveyard, it’s unlikely I would ever have found the runway and the crash site.
“It’s touching to know people in Londonderry still remember my uncle and his crewmates.”
Jonny McNee is also delighted with the outcome.
He said: “Ken sent a photograph and explained the whole background of the crash.
“He’s planning to visit in the summer and I believe he will send a letter to the pupils as they carry on with plans for a fitting memorial.
“It’s the 80th anniversary of the crash at the end of August and having this photograph means we can have the crew together for the first time in eight decades.
“It’s all very poignant and we’re very happy it’s all worked out well.”
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