'What other nation would have excluded its top scoring pilot from the Roll of Honour?'
THE fact that Archie McKellar missed out by hours on being included in the official Battle of Britain Roll of Honour still rankles with his cousin, John Fairley from Birkhall Drive in Bearsden, who has campaigned for years to have him awarded his rightful place.
The Herald has in the past reported on Mr Fairley's efforts to persuade successive governments to have his cousin's contribution to the fight against Hitler properly recognised. Former Strathkelvin and Bearsden MP Sam Galbraith took up the case, but the Ministry of Defence would not budge in their view that the name of Archie McKellar does not belong on the Battle of Britain memorial.
Mr Fairley, who to this day treasures a relic of the Humbie Heinkel post to him by his cousin, said: "The official record has it that the Battle of Britain ended hours before Archie was killed, but some historians, both British and German, contend that it was not over at that point.
"His name is on the memorial at Bearsden Cross along with those of a lot of other guys who gave their lives, but it also belongs on the roll of Honour. What other nation would have excluded its top scoring pilot from the Roll of Honour?"
Mr Fairley says he knows of at least four other pilots besides Archie who should also have their names added.
Mr Fairley recalls that Archie's parents were astonished, on visiting the Abbey, to find their only son excluded from the memorial.
In 1990 a memorial plaque was unveiled at the spot where Archie's plane crashed. The inscription refers to Archie as "The Forgotten Ace" and states that the Battle of Britain is officially seen as having ended eight hours before his death and while that he "was the foremost pilot in that battle, his contribution has not been generally acknowledged."
Another monument to his name stands at Erskine Hospital for ex-servicemen in the form of a unit known as McKellar House.
The hero was buried with full military honours in Eastwood Cemetery.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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