East meets west in Montrose to honour Allied effort in Second World War
ByDamon Rhind
Mrs Ness Vann and Mr David Oswald, right, were presented with Russian 70th anniversary medals by Soviet pilot Alexei Timofeev.
East met west in Montrose in remembrance of Allied efforts during the Second World War.
Russian visitors joined locals at Montrose Air Station Museum, as Lord Lieutenant of Angus, Georgiana Osborne and Russian consul general Andrey A Pritsepov formally opened the attraction’s latest exhibition.
As the display heralded the efforts of Soviet servicemen, the Russian visitors also honoured Scotland’s airmen and women to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
They conferred commemorative medals on two of the air station’s veterans, Mrs Ness Vann and Mr David Oswald.
The exhibition, The Russians Are Coming, reveals how the 24 pilots of the 10th Guards Air Division came to Perthshire 1943 to learn to fly Whitworth Armstrong Albemarle bombers.
The top secret mission was uncovered by Russian historian Anna Belarusova, who attended the event, whose grand-father was one of the pilots involved.
The opening of the exhibition marked the start of Montrose Air Station’s Open Weekend, which is part of Museums Galleries Scotland’s 2015 Festival of Museums.
