COWDENBEATH Rotary Club hope that within the next few weeks their quest to have a memorial erected at the grave of two people tragically killed in a war time accident in the town will be achieved.
Mary Hunter, 54, and Christina Thomson, 14, lived at 190 Stenhouse Street and on January 28, 1942, as a result of a tragic accident, a Fulmar plane from HMS Merlin, at Donibristle Air Base, crashed into it.
The pilot was killed and the crash also destroyed the adjoining house, at 188 Stenhouse Street, where Elizabeth Baird, 66, and her 21-year-old daughter Grace Baird also perished.
They are buried in a marked grave in Beath Old Cemetery, however, Mary and Christina were laid to rest together, with two other close relatives, in an unmarked grave near to the Bairds.
At a recent World War two talk by Rotary club president, Craig Bennet, to Primary 7s at Foulford Primary School in Cowdenbeath, a pupil asked where those who died in the plane crash were buried.
After checking with Fife Council bereavement services, it was discovered that Mary and Christina were buried in the unmarked grave at Old Beath Cemetery.
The rotary club are now seeking to commemorate the tragic deaths by erecting a plaque on their lair.
And they had a fitting boost to their efforts last week on a visit to Edinburgh Castle, when members spent time in the Scottish National War Museum based in the historic site.
While they viewed the excellent Scots Roll of Honour, of those who have died in conflicts since 1914, they also came across a book containing the names of civilians who lost their lives during wars.
Their guide, Jim Leggat, was able to open it for them and in it they came across those who died that dramatic day in Stenhouse Street in 1942.
At Thursday's meeting of the club, Mr Bennet reported: “We have met with Helen McCracken, one of the relatives of Mary and Christina and she warmly supports the move to mark the grave at Old Beath Cemetery.
“We are currently getting a memorial made and we hope to have it placed at the grave very soon.
“It was good that our party at the visit to Edinburgh Castle were able to see the names of Mary and Christina remembered in the Scottish War Museum and we want to keep the momentum maintained to have the memorial at their grave in Cowdenbeath.”
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