Military Casualties Of The War - Please help
Given time, it is the intention to record a) those buried in East Lothian and b) those born in East Lothian who died elsewhere on active service between 1939 and 1945. Clearly this will be a long-term project and, to a considerable extent, will depend upon visitors to the site sending in information of casualties and the location of their graves. As an example of the latter, Robert Kerr Smith kindly sent the following unusual set of photographs of his uncle, Sergeant Robert Davidson Smith, a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner with 269 Squadron, based at RAF Kaldadarnesis, Iceland, who was buried at Reykjavik (Fossvogur) cemetery on the 30th April 1942. The photographs were sent by the Red Cross to his family, which lived in Elphinstone at the time.
![Stacks Image 8](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-1a223f8.jpg)
WO/AG Sergeant Robert Davidson Smith, 269 Squadron, of Elphinstone, East Lothian. [RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 10](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-982405c.jpg)
Sergeant Smith is on the right and, in all probability, this was his crew.
The squadron flew Hudsons from RAF Kaldadarnesis, Iceland, at this time. Most of their attention was directed towards detecting
and destroying U boats. [RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 18](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-c0ed13b-1200x894.jpg)
The funeral cortege approaches Fossvogur Cemetery.
[RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 23](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-0ece831-1200x898.jpg)
The coffins are carried to the graves.
[RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 29](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-16468cd-1200x896.jpg)
The minister commits the bodies to their last resting place.
[RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 34](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-9c125d2-1198x896.jpg)
The Honour Guard fires a salute.
[RK Smith]
![Stacks Image 38](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-25b535a-956x1200.jpg)
The cross which initially marked Sergeant RD Smith’s grave in Reykjavik (Fossvogur) cemetery, Iceland.
[RK Smith]
Flying accidents in East Lothian
I hope to upload information about crashes in East Lothian along with the corresponding internment information. This will take quite a while so patience will be required. The majority of casualties are buried in Dirleton and Haddington St. Martins Cemeteries.
![Stacks Image 49](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-ae2c7e6.jpg)
Dirleton cemetery, looking south
[David Haire]
![Stacks Image 53](Military Graves_files/stacks-image-3d5ae58.jpg)
Haddington's St Martin's cemetery, looking north
[David Haire]