Haggis Highway:Lest We Forget Bellie Multi-Cache
Haggis Highway:Lest We Forget Bellie
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
1914 ~ 2014 100 years since the start of The Great War, the Haggi are taking you on a trail of war memorials.
The Spey Bay war memorial stands in12th centuary Bellie cemetery close to the B9104 between Fochabers and Spey Bay.
It stands within a plot delimited by a low stone kerb.
The monument stands on a two-step square plinth. A pyramidal base is topped by a Celtic cross with a square plain stone shaft, and head with carved interlace.
The memorial commemorates lives lost in the Second World War, the dedication carved on the cross shaft and a list of names on the base.
There is parking for several cars at N57*38.047 W003*05.171 and a short walk up to the cemetery gates, the war memorial is just inside as you enter. Up to your left near the new graves,you will see the RCAF graves of a Halifax crew of 427 Squadron RAF Leeming who were lost on return from mine laying in Danish waters. See below extract from the Operations Record Book of the time.
You will need to gather info from both memorial and the graves
Weather: Cloudy with periods of rain and sleet during morning becoming fine. Visibility moderate. Wind mainly northerly at five to ten m.p.h.
The five aircraft detailed for mine laying last night took off early this morning, to mine waters in the YENTREE (Anholt Island on slide) area.
One aircraft "H" piloted by J.13731 F/L J.T. HARDY crashed into the sea upon return, the other aircraft were diverted to northern SCOTLAND. Two aircraft successfully dropped their mines, and two brought them back. Weather was 10/10ths cloud with bases at 800/1000 ft. with good visibility below cloud. Crews report that their approach was evidently undetected as when the first aircraft arrived, the town and harbour were lit up and the airfield obligingly turned on its lights for them to land. Ten minutes later light flak opened up on island. Considerable shipping lights were seen in harbour and vicinity. No fighters seen. All crews attempted photographs.
In the afternoon a training programme was carried out with eleven aircraft participating in H.2.S. Cross-countries, Fighter Affiliation, Map Reading and local flying.
AB = Add together the date and the month which the RCAF chaps were killed + 2
C = Number of RAAF graves - 1
D = The 25 year old Canadian Pilot Officer has how many letters in his surname ?
E = On the war memorial at the gate as you came in,how many Scots Guards are there ?
F = How many Gordon Highlanders are there ?
G = How many names on the back side of the memorial ?
HJ = Number of names on the memorial x 6 + 2
The final co ~ords were at N57.AB.CDE W003.0F.GHJ but due to fallen trees at gz, you will need to subtract 2 from the Northerlies and subtract 17 from the westerlies. Clue has been amended to reflect this
Please be respectful and do not look for this cache if there is a funeral at the new part of the graveyard when you are here
The WWI casualties are to be found on Fochabers War Memorial at the entrance to Gordon Castle in the village
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
unatvat va pbeare
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures