#11214, James SHAW

In November of 1941, James Shaw left his position as manager of Perth Aerodrome to serve with the RAF.  He joined RAF 17 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Upwood in Northants.  In 1943 his unit moved to RAF Silverstone to train night bomber crews with Vickers Wellington aircraft.  OTUs were mainly training units, but they did on certain occasions take part in Bomber Command operational sorties as part of RAF No 92 Group.

On 7th July 1944 Vickers Wellington Mk X, HE235 took off at 23.48 pm with James Shaw in command from RAF Turweston (Silverstone) for a night exercise and was cleared for landing at 01.17.  Vickers Wellington Mk III BK272 from the same unit took off at 01.22 directly into a bright moon to take part in the same exercise.  At 01.28 the two aircraft collided at 1000 feet; both went down and burst into flames.  13 men including James were killed.

The Court of Inquiry said that the pilots and crews failed to keep a good look out.  Navigation lights would not show up in full moon.  Weather fine, visibility excellent.  HE235 was dazzled by the brilliant moon and extremely poor navigation lights on the Wellingtons contributed to this tragic accident.

James is commemorated at Bendochy Parish Church:

A place of worship for the last 900 years.

Bendochy Parish Church is one of the oldest ecclesiastic sites in Scotland, the walls of the present Church being seven hundred years old. Even earlier, in the time of the Culdees, there was a religious centre here.

The Cistercian abbey of Coupar Angus, just two miles away, took over the church in medieval times. At that time, it would have been a simple rectangular white-washed stone building with plain rectangular windows and an earth floor. The Monks would have forded the River Isla just above the Church when visiting it and Coupar Grange, the home farm of the Abbey of Coupar. This ford was still in use in living memory.

The inscription reads Dearly loved husband of Helene Shaw; QUID DESIDERIO SIT PUDOR AUT MODUS

There is a probable misprint for QUIS, in which case it is a straight quote from Horace meaning 'What restraint or limit can there be to grief?"

(He read History at Caius)