This Page will be constantly updated to keep everyone up to date with what the group is involved with.

08/10/2011. A visit to Orkney was made by two relatives of Sub/Lt Anthony Smalley who was killed in the Seafire collision over  Evie. As folk no doubt know the group have been in touch with both families of the pilots and carried out an excavation of one of the crash sites in July 2010.  Jonathan and Wayland Smalley,  the Sub/Lts nephews were shown the crash site of their uncles Seafire by Kevin Heath  and visited his grave at St.Olaf`s in Kirkwall.  Kevin told of the groups plans to erect a permanent memorial at the crash site next year, since then the plaque has been engraved and wheels are in motion to get a  stone from a local source to which it will be placed.    

Top: Relatives Jonathan & Wayland Smalley in St.Olaf`s, with their Uncles grave. Above: Plaque by ARGOS.    Photos: Kevin Heath.

22/08/2011. Another eventful month with a display by ARGOS at the annual Vintage Rally in Kirkwall. Relics from both recent digs of the two Grumman Martlets in Finstown and Harray were on display, along with a few other aircraft items that had been recovered soon after the war and donated by farmers.

Above: William Shearer and Magnus Ritch with the display of aircraft relics. Photo: Sean Brough.

08/08/2011. It is reported that a Flybe SAAB 340 bound for Edinburgh with 22 passengers had to abort the flight and return to Kirkwall after a birdstrike on takeoff. The bird thought to have been a common gull hit the starboard wing, but on inspection no damage was found and the flight took off for its destination with only a 45 minute inspection delay.   

04/08/2011. In July members cleared out a couple of the old wartime buildings at Twatt airfield, and began to prepare display items for the Vintage Rally at Hatston later this month. Info has come to light of  aircraft wreckage previously unheard of at a location yet to be determined on the Isle of Hoy, and we now have dive footage and photos of the Grumman Martlet JV526 lost in the sea off Kirkwall (See videos page and Orkney Underwater sites for details).

27/06/2011.   Neil Thain sent in the following photo of  a rather cryptic inscription found in concrete foundations at Caldale Camp, the camp was a former WW1 base for airships but used for maintenance, rigging and balloon repairs etc during  the Second World War. This is not a grave but perhaps etched in memory of something, maybe even a joke among the fitters who worked there?  Anyhow if anyone can enlighten us as to what this means we`d be most grateful if you could get in touch with Kevin Heath at : kjh1702@aol.com 

Above:  The cryptic message found at Caldale.   Photo:  Neil Thain.

10/06/2011.  A two page article written by Lorraine Shearer appears in this weeks `Orcadian` newspaper all about the two Grumman Martlets that crashed on the Mainland in June 1943 and the groups recent activities.   

05/06/2011.   ARGOS members have been very busy recently with two excavations of Grumman Martlet crash sites at Stymilders in Stenness, and in the Hills above Harray, also a site survey was done of the Walliwall B-24 crash site near Kirkwall, and the Liberator on Hoy.

Copies of the book `Almost Home` on the Walliwall B-24 sold out and more are being printed. Also the DVD on the two Seafires at Rendall  have sold well and more will also be obtained.

Kevin Heath now has a new Dive boat  which should prove helpful for our underwater searches, the new boat `Seafarer` was brought over from the Isle of Man in the Spring by Kevin and is now in Kirkwall.

The group welcomes new members from Shetland and Cumbria and  back issues of the magazine have been sent out.

At the time of this update we received word that a vintage Hornet Moth aircraft had suffered a landing accident at Unst,Shetland, fortunately though nobody was injured.  See below:

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/905-pilots-escape-uninjured-as-vintage-plane-crashes.html

13/04/2011. Kevin Heath reports that a clam diver found remains of an aircraft on a beach on Sanday, when part numbers were checked it turns out that these were pieces of an Army target drone. More on this later.   We were also contacted by a man from New Zealand who`s Father flew Hurricanes from Skeabrae, and was involved in a couple of incidents where he almost lost his life over Scapa, we shall cover his account in the magazine.

08/03/2011. A new book will be out on 20th March about the B-24 Liberator crash in 1945 at Walliwall,Orkney. By ARGOS member Dave Earl. ( See our website books page for more details).

Also, 2 interesting e-mails were received regarding the formation of the group and preservation of history around Orkney by Mr Daniel Travis. Hope Mr Travis won`t mind us displaying these here, it is always a pleasure to get good feedback regarding our research.  

Dear Kevin,

I visited Orkney last October for research into the wartime history of Orkney as part of my PhD thesis. I'm just putting together my chapter on Orkney now and I was interested to include a bit about current commemorations and memorialization. In particular I was interested in when A.R.G.O.S was founded, by whom, and if it is a publicly funded or privately funded group? Do you work with ODIN at all or are you a completely separate entity?

Drop me a line if you wouldn't mind. I'm fascinated.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

And a follow up:

Dear David,

I think what you are doing is fantastic - when I came to Orkney I was astounded at how well the Norse and neolithic heritage had been preserved and how the wartime buildings were crumbling. It was made even more poignant after having spent three weeks doing research in Jersey where every German bunker is now a tourist attraction! I think that there is a great awakening in Orkney to the need to conserve wartime heritage (perhaps in the wake of the 'Black Building' debate) which will change the landscape of Orkney both in a literal sense and in the memory of this important time in Orkney's modern history.

Regards,

Daniel.

09/02/2011.  We received the letter below from a teacher and thought it worthy of a mention on our website news update:
Hello Kevin,

I just wanted to let you know that, as a teacher, I've been using your web page
with information on the history of flight (http://www.crashsiteorkney.com/page54.htm)
for our lessons at school.  It's been helpful...thanks for making that
information available.
Since we referenced your website in our classroom, I thought I would pass alone
another page one of my students found that you might want to include:  "Airport
Resources: The History of Flight" - http://www.cheapairportparking.org/history-of-flight.htm
It's a fantastic timeline that breaks down the early history of flight.  I
thought your visitors might find the info beneficial as well.
Thanks again,


Brooke Pierce

06/01/2011.  We are delighted with the reaction to the formation of our group, and it is always a great pleasure to receive correspondence of like minded folk who appreciate our work.  Below is a letter from Steve Spink  a member of the Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum, and now a member of ARGOS also: 

 In Sept 2010 on a visit to the majestic island of Orkney on my 17^th wedding anniversary my good friend Alan Leishman asked me to make contact with the newly formed A.R.G.O.S group. Being a bit sheepish I decided to have a go. Alan has always been helpful and supportive in this exciting and demanding hobby called aviation archaeology, we are both involved with the D.& G.A.M.

05/01/2011  Firstly Happy New Year everyone, though the general economy and the world itself had it`s ups & downs, all in all our aviation group has gone from strength to strength.  Our thanks go to all those who helped with information along the way and a few special thanks must go to `The Orcadian` for covering various stories based on our research, also  `The Vintage Rally` and  `Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme`allowing displays of relics at their events in Kirkwall & Stromness.  

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15/12/2010. Our Seafire DVD  went on sale on 1st December and is already selling well. News of a number of Illustrated talks to be held at the Gable End Theatre, North Walls, Hoy on Wednesday January 19th 2011 has come in from Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Admin, these will be conducted by Dan Lee (ORCA)  Kevin Heath (ARGOS) and Gavin Lindsay. (See flyer below)

26/11/2010. We have been informed that our  DVD  `A TALE OF TWO SEAFIRES` will be available from 1 December. Please send a cheque for £9.99 + £1.25 P&P  to : William Shearer, 71 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DQ.  Make all cheques payable to William Shearer . 

16/11/2010  Our website today had its 10000th visitor

13/11/2010.  Our DVD on the Seafire excavation in July  is nearing fruition and we are told it should be ready early December, The title is : "A tale of two Seafires"  Please e-mail  Kevin Heath at kjh1702@aol.com if you would like to reserve a copy. Price will be £9.99 from which a donation for each DVD sold will be donated to the Kirkwall Branch of the Royal British Legion.  

24/10/2010.  Today ARGOS members Kevin Heath and William Shearer, along with members of Kirkwall Bristish Legion bearing standards, held a moving short service and laid wreaths at the graves of the two Seafire pilots Lts Johnson & Smalley who were killed in a collision over Evie 1943. 

20/10/2010.  Finally we can give you an update on what`s been going on over the past 5 weeks. A meeting was attended by ARGOS members with Birsay Heritage Trust regarding the lease of buildings from the Council at Twatt aerodrome, the outcome being that our group has been offered an opportunity to join BHT and put some of the buildings back to use as a museum. The Control Tower will be the main project and it is hoped funding will allow work to be completed within the next couple of years, plans are for us to have four rooms with displays, one on each of the airfields used in wartime Orkney.

Some work has been undertaken by OIC on the Peedie Sea and this has been partly drained, it is hoped that we will find out whether there are still any remains of the Sea Hurricane in there that crashed there on 5 December 1942 killing Lt (A) Thomas Bush of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.

More info has come to light from several Islanders regarding crashes and we now have more information on a Skua that crashlanded on N.Ronaldsay and two other aircraft in Deerness.

Following on from our Seafire displays at both the Orkney Vintage Rally and the Ness Battery, a 6 page article all about our group appeared in the September issue of `Living Orkney`, we have also been approached by a media group for Sky TV wanting information for a programme about Aviation Archaeology.                

06/09/2010. The Ness Battery open day went really well with over 300 people passing through the gates.There were various displays from ODIN, SFLP. Brian Budge had a display telling of the Orkney war memorials and Tom Johnston had 3 tables full of various items relating to Orkney in World Wars.

William Shearer and Kevin Heath had an A.R.G.O.S display with the Rendall Seafire and £55.00 was collected in donations.

One visitor to the display was Steven Spink and his wife from the Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum   http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/ 

Steven joined William Shearer and Kevin Heath on a visit to a few of the Orkney crash sites including that of the Martlet FN284, The Rendall Seafire & the Walliwall B24 Liberator. Many crash site stories were shared and it was great for A.R.G.O.S to meet a member from another group.

02/09/2010. An open day has been organised by Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme at Ness Battery this Sunday 5th Sept. As well as displays by various individuals and local history groups,  ARGOS will have a display on the Seafire recently recovered from a field in Rendall, along with other wartime relics. See below for details: 

14/08/2018 

12/08/2010  Last year marked the 30 anniversary of one of the most tragic accidents in Scottish history, a Dan Air BAe 748 airliner crashed off the edge of the runway into the sea at Sumburgh,Shetland with the loss of the two pilots and 17 passengers, still after all these years no memorial has been placed in memory of those who died in G-BEKF on 31st July 1979, here is a link to a Scottish TV video about the tragedy: 

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/113109-sumburgh-air-disaster-remembered/

30/07/2010.  The group has just completed it`s first large scale excavation, a Seafire in Rendall,Orkney, that collided with another Seafire on 3/2/1943. A successful dig with around 30-35% of the aircraft  being recovered, 2x20mm hispano cannons, engine, supercharger parts,oil pump, and many other parts which are now undergoing treatment for preservation and display. More on this event can be found on the Seafires page of Orkney Projects, also in our ARGOS Media page. Some footage showing the type of exercise carried out by these aircraft can be found on our videos page and an interview with group member William Shearer recorded on the morning of the dig can be found on the fore mentioned Seafire page in Orkney Projects.  

29/07/2010.  It  is sad to relate that Mike Crossley RN  D.S.C.& Bar died on 20th July 2010.  Mike was Commanding Officer of 880 Squadron at Hatston,Orkney and was also author of the excellent book `They Gave Me A Seafire`.  You can read his obituary here:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/7907413/Commander-Mike-Crosley.html

09/07/2010 . We received the letter below from a metal detector enthusiast: 

Hi there  just for info as I thought this may be of interest to members. There is a large article written by me for Treasure Hunting magazine concerning Battle of Britain related aviation archaeology and how metal detecting is helping out in a major way by filling museums and public displays with our lost aviation heritage. A tribute to the fine young men of all nationalities who gave their all, and also to those metal detectorists and researchers who decades later who are determined that we shall not forget and locate long lost aircraft crash sites . Many dedicated people have contributed artefacts and excavation photographs...which enabled me to be really fortunate in compiling a write up that includes images of some of the most incredible and stunning artefacts uncovered....(big thank you to all concerned) ....from control columns, maps, DB 601 engine badges, even a Defiant control column too!!!. The article will be in Septembers issue this will be available on August 9th from the usual literary outlets such as Smiths, or larger newsagents etc SO EVEN IF YOU DONT NORMALLY SUBSCRIBE OR BUY TREASURE HUNTING MAGAZINE PERHAPS MAKE THIS ISSUE JUST ONE EXCEPTION!!!!!Thanks all for your time.

 Please check out www.treasurehunting.co.uk for additional general details of this magazine, which frequently has aviation archaeology based articles and news.If you know an aircraft or Battle of Britain "Buff" who is a friend or family member please let them know.

01/07/2010. In the `Orcadian` this week was report of a seaplane that landed in Kirbister Loch, a float struck a rock after the aircraft drifted after landing but no damage was caused, the American Pilot  Martin Pickard and companion Marga Garcia who is a phographer stayed at nearby Foinhaven B&B before departing on Sunday for Norway.  Some video footage of the aircraft a Cessna reg N206MX taking off from the loch can be seen on our video page, it is understood that this is the first aircraft to ever make a landing in the loch.      

19/06/2010.  The Summer issue of our magazine `The Argonaut` has now been published is is available either direct from Kevin Heath, or at two outlets in Kirkwall and Stromness (See our Group Mag page for details)  Also four new members joined the group this month and more interesting items have come to light around the isles.  Talks continue regarding a future museum and a number of buildings have been inspected for a potential site. We continue to build our website adding new features when we can and you can find what`s new on our Updates page. Thanks to all the families of aircrew that have been in touch and donated info and photographs from their personal collections, it really makes everything worthwhile in ensuring that their relatives are not forgotten. 

05/06/2010.  The Spitfire display along with a replica WW1  SE5A and Pitts Special aerobatic plane, was greeted by cheers from the crowds at Kirkwall and as Spitfire pilot Anthony Hodgson thrilled a massive crowd with great weather and blue skies, ARGOS member Bobby Forbes was ready with his camera to take some great shots of the stunning performance, here are a couple of those great pics by Bobby.  See more on this event and the Spitfire history and arrival at Kirkwall on Neil Thain`s site here:  http://orkneyairpower.blogspot.com/  Also see our Videos Page for some great footage taken by ARGOS  member Andrew Brown.

 Spitfire MK IX  PT462  Over Kirkwall Harbour.  Photos:  Bobby Forbes.

Royal Aircraft Factory replica SE5A  F5447. A great display by the owner and pilot Neil Geddes.   Photo: Bobby Forbes.

Pitts Special over Kirkwall Harbour.  Photo: Bobby Forbes.  

Finally another low pass over the harbour by PT462.  Photo: Bobby Forbes.

01/06/2010 From `The Orcadian` Spitfire display funding in place.

After surpassing the amount of money needed to take historic aircraft to Orkney, a June date has now been set for the visit of a PT462 Spitfire.This week alone, £1,350 has been donated for the event, which is planned for 7pm on June 3. Organiser, Neil Thain, said he was very grateful for all the individuals and businesses who had helped raise the £4,000 to make the show possible, with the total amount standing at £4,150. He said: "The display itself will take place over Kirkwall Bay, in a line North to South, so it will be viewable from Hatston all the way round to Carness.

29/05/2010 ARGOS members Kevin Heath and Dan Wise return to Orkney after completing a Seabotix ROV course in San Diego USA. The course was kindly funded by the Scapa Flow Landscape Patnership. The ROV will help ARGOS locate and identify aircraft underwater down to depths of 150 meters. The ROV is aso equiped with a Tritech scanning SONAR and SULA Diving kindly funded a 1 day course with Tritech in Aberdeen.

06/04/2010. Today marks the 65th Annivarsary of Capitainne Sassards crash on Skelday Hill which is marked by a composite Spitfire flying over the hill on the front of our magazine. Other news is William has been informed of a radial engine in a farm shed from a crashed aircraft, this has yet to be examined. More info has been found on local airmen for inclusion in future ARGOS magazines, and we are getting closer to identifying a mystery aircraft in Scapa Flow.

31/03/2010. A couple of articles appeared in the `Shetland Times` and `Shetland News` this week asking for interested parties to join our group,as a result we have a few more members of the team. Also in the `Orcadian` last week local man Neil Thain of St.Ola with a keen interest in wartime aviation asked for sponsers to enable an Edinburgh owned Spitfire PT462 and the BofB Hurricane R4118 to fly up to Orkney, there is already a lot of interest in the event which he hopes will take place in June, and landowner of Skeabrae Stewart Wood has given permission for the aircraft to land there should the sponsorship funding be successful. Neil, who took some aerial photos for ARGOS a while back would like to hear from anyone offering sponsorship or wanting more information, he can be contacted at 01856 878626 eve or weekends, or via e-mail at : thain@thenookorkney.com    

23/02/2010.  More info has come to light on the Hurricane in the Peedie Sea, and more relics have been found around the island. This month has been spent preparing the Spring edition of our magazine `The Argonaut` and cataloguing photos and updating the website.    

28/01/2010. Another busy start to the new year with William having made several new contacts and discovered more relics dotted about Orkney. The airborne lifeboat used on the Warwick has been found on Hoy though in need of some restoration it is in better that expected condition. Divers have discovered further remains of a Grumman Wildcat off  Hatston and ARGOS now have their licence for the Seafire in Evie.  

31/12/2009.  The latter weeks of 2009 were busy as ever with Kevin giving a talk on Scapa Flow aircraft wrecks on the 14th in Kirkwall,  a mystery Spitfire crash landing on Faray isle has now been identified, and parts of the Warwick of Fara Isle in Scapa have been located and photographed. All in all with the formation of the group, building of the website and the launch of our quarterly journal `The Argonaut` it has been a very productive first year for ARGOS and members of the team would like to express their appreciation and heartfelt thanks to all those people who have contacted us and cooperated in our searches during the past 12 months. Happy New Year everyone.

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06/12/2009. In last weeks `Orcadian` was a small article on a Stromness man Colin Steven who after reading the two A.R.G.O.S stories on the Spitfires at Rendall & Skelday Hill  placed wreaths at graves in Sandwick 3 of the airmen killed in crashes.  

28/11/09. The Kirkwall branch of the Royal British Legion has paid tribute to a number of aviatiors who were killed in WW2 on and around Orkney.   The legion also honoured 4 New Zealand airmen and info can be found here:  

http://www.rbls-kirkwall.org.uk/Anzacdelegation.html

Other news is that the RAF fighter command building know locally as the Black building has now been completely demolished despite a number of local petitions to try and get it saved and preserved for future generations. Yet another piece of wartime heritage has been lost. 

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The crash site of  Spitfire TB914 has been located on Skelday Hill  on Remembrance Sunday by ARGOS members Kevin Heath & William Shearer with the help of locals and in commemoration an account of the events surrounding this loss have appeared on the front page of this weeks (Thur 12 Nov) Orcadian.

Other news is that work began on publishing the first ARGOS group magazine which will be called `The Argonaut` and Issue 1 should be ready by early December.

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                     New Exhibition at the Orkney Museum, Tankerness House, Kirkwall

Orkney from the Air

by

Craig Taylor

The new winter season of temporary exhibitions at the Orkney Museum, Tankerness House, Kirkwall, begins this Saturday, 3^rd October, with a photographic exhibition with a difference. 'Orkney from the Air' by local photographer Craig Taylor uses not only a light aircraft to get stunning shots, but also a camera suspended from a kite. This exhibition will act as a taste of what is to come, as Craig is publishing a book of his aerial photographs in November. The book and exhibition are the culmination of many years work with aerial photography, as he explains. 

"I took my first aerial photographs of Orkney nearly 15 years ago and have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to photograph the islands from the air on many occasions since then.

    I have taken aerial pictures throughout the changing seasons, showing Orkney in the summer months showing blue skies and blue/green seas, to later in the winter months when the islands have been covered in a thick blanket of snow and the clear northerly air gives fantastic visibility.

    I discovered kite aerial photography in 2006. The idea is simple, attach a digital camera to a kite line and send it up in the air to take photographs.

However, it can be a bit like fishing as you never really know what you are going to catch if anything at all!

    I have found kite aerial photography very satisfying when I get the picture I am looking for. When the wind and sun are right, using the kite camera equipment I can capture Orkney scenes from unique and unusual angles.

    Aerial photographs from my kite and from aircraft both feature in the exhibition and within the pages of my first book 'Orkney from the Air' which will be launched on November 12." 

'Orkney from the Air' by Craig Taylor opens at the Orkney Museum on Saturday 3^rd October, and runs until the 24^th October. The Orkney Museum is open Monday - Saturday, 10.30 - 12.30, 1.30 - 5.00, admission is free.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/craig_taylor_orkney/

12/09/2009. ARGOS reports with great sadness that Sgt Colin Acton, Wireless Op/Air Gunner in F/O Jack Murray`s crew from Warwicks BV411 & BV417 passed away on 3/9/2009 aged 86, he was the youngest member of the crew.

 Sgt Colin Acton.

26/08/2009  Great new book by BAAC members Nick Wotherspoon,Alan Clark and Mark Sheldon, Aircraft Wrecks - The Walkers Guide, which includes 85 sites in the Highlands & Islands. Highly Recommended! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aircraft-Wrecks-Walkers-Historic-Mountains/dp/1844159108

21/08/2009 A survey was carried out of  of Seafire MB369.

 www.lrlman.com

21/08/2009  ARGOS members Magnus Ritch, William Shearer and Kevin Heath relocated and surveyed the crash site of the Martlet FN284 (Brett) (see Orkney land crash sites) after being told where to search by David Earl, and local farmer Mr Flett. Work is now underway to get for a licence for this site.

10/07/2009. People have e-mailed saying they tried to leave notes on our guestbook but kept on getting rejected, it would appear that the problem is that apart from typing in the code numbers you need to give your e-mail address, this of course is not disclosed on the guestbook but is a means of cutting down spammers. Hope this helps and we would be pleased to receive your comments on our site. 

09/07/2009 Despite Ken Hamblys best efforts it has now been decided that the Black Building WILL be demolished !!!

16/6/2009 Well at long last myself,  William Shearer, Dave Earl, Dave Ramsey and Geoff Bland  did a search for one of the two Evie Seafire's. Having been shown a location by two locals who remember the crash we did a survey with the  Mini Geo. The survey did show a few large deep metalic objects. A licence will now be applied for. Data from the Mini Geo will be added to the site soon !! a great bit of survey kit !!! www.lrlman.com

28/5/2009 A new ''Membership'' page where the ARGOS membership forms can be downloaded. By joining ARGOS your membership fee will be helping us maintain the website and myself and Dave will be doing regular newsletters for ARGOS members keeping you informed of what ARGOS and BAAC are up to. It is also hoped that ARGOS members will join in on projects, like the Evie Seafire project which we hope to complete in June and a trip to Cava & Fara to look at the Balloon and AA sites.

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Black Building News

What do we do if the building is reprieved? That's when our problems (?) and hard work starts.

This summer we have a few sites marked out to look at, these include the Hammars Hill Spitfire and the Skua on Stronsay. Also would like to get to the bottom of the Evie Seafire story !

The TM808 and Arc Geo have now arrived so these will be a massive help in the searches giving us more depth than the standard metal detectors see:  http://www.lrlman.com/ for details.

Anyone interested in helping with these projects or any others please email. We especially need more members in Shetland.   

Shortly we will be sorting out ARGOS membership so anyone interested please email so I can send out membership forms !

ARGOS has now been added to the BAAC website on the Groups page !

(c)  Copyright 2010. Aviation Research Group of Orkney & Shetland.

All rights reserved. Due to the imense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by A.R.G.O.S  though photos are credited to their repective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and aknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.