Quest to solve mystery of tragic young World War II RAF gunner from Highlands killed 70 years ago
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In a tranquil spot overlooking the Normandy coast lies the final resting of a brave young RAF gunner from Inverness who was killed during a wartime operation.
James Hamilton Ross was part of a seven-man crew who all died when their bomber aircraft crashed south east of Dieppe during a night-time mission on March 12 1943.
He was just 23 years old.
In a British-French collaboration, a project has been launched in the hope of placing a memorial in recognition of the crew's sacrifice – and to involve as many relatives as possible.
But although relatives have been found for most of the crew – including two New Zealanders – efforts to track down relatives of James Ross, who was the only Scottish crew member, have so far drawn a blank.
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The project on the British side is being driven by Alex Fisher for whom it is a personal mission.
His great uncle, Reginald Heath, was the flight engineer on the ill-fated Short Stirling MKI World War II bomber when it crashed.
Mr Fisher has spent countless hours trying to put together all the pieces of the poignant story which has attracted interest in the Normandy area and French media.
But although he has delved into James's family background and travelled from his home in southern England to visit the Inverness area, he is desperately still seeking more information.
"I suppose my long-term aim is to find living relatives of James and to link them to what is going on in France," he said.
"Fundamentally, this is the story of seven incredibly brave men who gave their lives in World War II to make the world we live in a better one.
"Up until now, they have essentially been cast into oblivion."
His research on James Hamilton Ross has revealed his parents are named in World War II records as Donald and Kathleen Ross, of Inverness.
He has also discovered that a James Hamilton Ross was born illegitimately on August 27 1920 at Hughton, Kiltarlity, to domestic servant Catherine Jackson. A neighbour, Elizabeth Ross, was present at the birth.
He also established that James, aged 10 months old, was present on a census in June 1921 when he was living in Kiltarlity with his birth mother and Elizabeth Ross was a visitor.
Interestingly, both women were from Lanarkshire where Catherine had been a domestic servant and Elizabeth a hotel cook.
Mr Fisher speculated whether this was how the women first met and whether James was later adopted by Donald and Elizabeth (nee Hamilton) who had married in 1917.
After 1921, he loses track of James's birth mother, Catherine, who was born in 1903, the illegitimate child of Margaret Jackson of Lanarkshire, and who was listed in 1911 in a Glasgow orphanage, aged seven.
Mr Fisher is puzzled that World War II records name James's next of kin as Donald and Kathleen Ross but wondered whether this was Elizabeth's second name.
"I am simply trying to find living relatives of James Hamilton Ross so that I can include them in the research work that is ongoing in France," he said.
"That said, I am also interested in James Hamilton Ross's story.
"There feels something incredibly tragic about this from Margaret, to Catherine to James ultimately dying in a World World II Short Stirling Bomber crash."
Mr Fisher, who has worked in the retail industry for 30 years, has also been trying to solve the mystery surrounding the crash of the Short Stirling MKI WW2 bomber (BF343 - HA-M) which which set off from Downham Market air base near Norfolk for a bombing raid on Stuttgart, never to return.
"There has been limited information on the exact crash site, or the cause of the crash itself," Mr Fisher said.
"The crew members were highly experienced and on their 21st mission – most Stirling crews didn't make it to 10 missions, let alone 20-plus.
"Despite all of this experience, the crew was young with the New Zealand pilot aged only 21 at the time of the crash.
"Whilst luck clearly played a role, it is likely that the pilot in particular was highly capable and backed up by a very strong crew."
The crew, comprising two New Zealanders, four Englishmen and Scotsman James, who was the mid-upper gunner, are buried in the Canadian cemetery in Hautot Sur Mer near Dieppe which Mr Fisher describes as "an incredibly beautiful spot" that sits high above the Normandy Coast.
Following inquiries and much research, he has managed to pinpoint the aircraft crash site from satellite imagery in 1944.
With the help others in France there are hopes of exploring the site with ultimate intention of establishing a memorial in the village.
"Given what they sacrificed for us, it feels the least I can do for them," Mr Fisher said.
"This is a bit of a personal mission for me, something I am very passionate about and a mystery that I am determined to solve."
Anyone who can help should email fisher.alex1@googlemail.com.
