Call to salute the height of courage

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 21:57

ALMOST 70 years ago, a grieving Scottish aristocrat was dubbed the "Fairy Godmother of the RAF" for her remarkable response to the tragic deaths of all three of her sons – two of whom were killed in action in the Second World War.

Devastated by her tragic loss, Lady Rachel MacRobert, the wealthy American widow of a Scottish baronet, decided to fight back in the only way she could – using part of her personal fortune to buy a Stirling bomber for the RAF.

The aircraft became known as "MacRobert's Reply" – the first of seven RAF bombers which have proudly carried the name ever since.

A defiant Lady MacRobert also donated another 25,000 during the war to purchase four Hurricane fighters.

And Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, is now pledging his support for a campaign to commemorate her links with Fighter Command by naming one of the RAF's new Typhoon Eurofighters "MacRobert Spirit – Not for Self But for Country" – the MacRobert family motto.

The campaign is being led by Ian McFarlane, the Edinburgh-based composer

whose late father, Group Captain Robert McFarlane, was chief instructor for the RAF's first jet bomber unit.

He said: "Lady MacRobert's huge generosity and sacrifice was unique and inspired a whole nation – and is what is British and best and selfless and timeless.

"In all modern day philanthropy, I can think of no equivalent in financial terms, nor a better example of selflessness and 'bulldog' spirit."

Mr McFarlane explained that Lady MacRobert lost her eldest son, Alasdair, in a plane crash a year before the outbreak of the war.

Her second eldest son Roderic was killed in May, 1941, while serving with the RAF in Iraq. And a month later, her youngest son Iain was killed while serving with RAF Coastal Command.

As she mourned the death of the last of her sons, Lady MacRobert sent a 25,000 cheque from her estate at Tarlandin, Aberdeenshire, to the government, requesting that the money be used to buy a bomber for the RAF. She wrote: "Might it carry the MacRobert crest, or simply our badge. Let it be used where it is most needed.

"I have no more sons to wear the badge, or carry on in the fight. If I had ten sons, I know they would have followed that line of duty."

Mr McFarlane said: "Unlike the 'MacRobert's Reply' bombers, there is no fighter aircraft carrying the MacRobert name to mark Lady MacRobert's donation of the flight of four Hurricanes.

"And naming one of new Typhoons will ensure, for the first time, that the connection with Fighter Command will be remembered.

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Mr Salmond has written to Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, supporting Mr McFarlane's initiative. He states: "To name one of the new Typhoons after the MacRobert motto would provide a fitting commemoration to Lady MacRobert's selfless contribution to the war effort.

"It would also serve as a gesture which would be seen widely as recognition of the unique contribution which Aberdeenshire, and indeed Scotland, has made to the RAF as a whole."

Lady MacRobert died in 1954 and left her entire estate to three charitable trusts.