The RAF and other military helped give a fitting send off to retired RAF flight lieutenant and Dundee High School teacher Alastair Allan when his funeral was held in Angus on November 28.
Squadron Leader Al Frew, Officer Commanding Leuchars RAF Detachment, was amongst the military personnel who paid their respects to the 91-year-old former English teacher during a service at Alexander Bain Funeralcare in Forfar.
Peter Kerr, Veterans Community Support Co-ordinator, Angus, Perthshire and Fife Areas, The Royal British Legion Scotland, read a personal ode for Alastair at the request of the family.
Others present included Reverend Brian Dingwall, a support volunteer who visited Alastair regularly over the past two years and during his declining health months.
Forfar Legion was also present with the standard bearer role held by Iain Wallace, a veteran who lost his leg after being knocked off his motor bike at a junction in Forfar three years ago.
He and his family have been aided by Veteran Community Support during his recovery.
How well known was Alastair Allan?
The Courier recently reported the passing of Alastair Allan on November 14 in Finavon Care Home, Forfar.
He was described by The Royal British Legion Scotland as an “officer and a gentleman”.
Having served in the RAF from 1950 to 1970 before retraining as an English teacher, Mr Allan was a great supporter of the veterans community, of which he himself became part.
Born in Edinburgh on March 15, 1932, Alastair left school and went into banking.
He was a member of the Associate Institute of Bankers for Scotland.
He joined the RAF through National Service, but stayed on as a regular for 20 years.
Flight Lieutenant Allan was posted to Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
At the end of his career in the RAF he was recruiting officer for Scotland in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.
When he left the RAF in 1970, he went to Dundee University to study for a degree before going into teacher training.
He was an English teacher at Harris Academy from 1974 to 1985.
While there, he was the boys’ housemaster for Kinloch.
Then from 1985 to 1997, he taught English at Dundee High School where he was the sixth form master.
In 1996, he married Anne after they met at ballroom dancing in Lochee.
Both had been married before.
Fitting send off for Alastair Allan
Alastair had a family of four children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren, while Anne has a family of three children, 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
In 2021, they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
Anne, 75, said her husband had benefitted greatly from Unforgotten Forces – a consortium of 15 organisations who support veterans.
He was referred to Legion Scotland Veteran Community Support – part of Unforgotten Forces – by a third party who identified that Alastair was isolated and lonely.
He was matched with support volunteer Rev. Brian Dingwall, also from Edinburgh, who was amongst those who attended the birthday celebration.
Conversation