This Memorial stone to Lt Frederick Alfred Cash of the RNAS was erected by his parents ,Robert Cooper Cash and Ellen Cash from Hamilton Ontario in Canada. He died on 24th July 1918 and was their only son. He was a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons from 1917-1918. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in Ottawa in January 1918. After completing his training in June, he began his service in the Firth of Forth where he was attached to the Grand Fleet.
The Canadian Roll of service says that one month later when he was flying alone, his machine was seen from a distance to come down in a spinning dive. He was found dead by his rescuers.
He is listed in UK records as a serving office in the Royal Air Force. There is no entry in the index for the Haddingtonshire Courier for that year which could indicate why he was buried at East Linton. This is now an official war grave in Prestonkirk graveyard and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission . He will be remembered on the evening of the 3rd August this year at a service “At the going down of the Sun “ when wreaths will be laid at the listed Commonwealth War Graves for Prestonkirk Graveyard.
If anyone has information on the site of the crash, please contact David Affleck
01620860694 or e-mail davidaffleck @btinternet.com
Some further information has been received from Alan Thomson
"Saw your Blog for the 5th August mentioning that the final wreath was placed on 2nd.Lt. Frederick Alfred Cash's Grave. By a strange coincidence I am reasearching WW1 flying accidents in Scotland and can offer some more details on his accident.
2nd.Lt. Cash was flying Sopwith Pup serial number 9946 of the Grand Fleet School of Aerial Gunnery when he was seen to enter a spin from 2000ft and failed to recover, crashing at Crow Wood near Markle. He was killed instantly in the crash.
Born 24th Feb. 1896
Father was Robert Cooper Cash, Dentist of Hamilton Ontario."
Sgt William Myles
Recently David & Audrey visited the grave to Sgt William Myles. He is listed in Prestonkirk memorial as of this parish and congregation but is included in the Memorial at Whitekirk.He died from cerebro-meningitis. His son David died on the 12th April 1918 aged 22
David has added asection on him on the East Linton Heritage page http://www.elh.info/site/pages/local-heritage-groups/east-linton-heritage/war-memorial-history.php
Report on the grave of Sergeant William Myles. 8th Battalion, Royal Scots.
The cemetery of St Sever in Rouen contains the graves of 11,436 graves of Commonwealth officers and soldiers who died in the First World War. At its entrance is a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon. Sgt Myles was a forester in 1911. A separate section contains an area devoted to the French war graves.
A visit was made to the cemetery on the 25th September 2014 when a single rose was laid in his memory .
