A Russian woman is appealing for help in unraveling the mystery of her heroic grandfather’s wartime exploits in Perthshire.
Anna Belorusova only discovered recently that Peter Kolesnikov trained at the RAF base at Errol with Squadron 305 as part of a band of the “creme de la creme” of Russian pilots.
“That was the most amazing coincidence or destiny,” she said.
“I have been coming for the last 15 years exactly to the same place in the UK where my grandfather had been half a century ago.”
Mr Kolesnikov, who was born in 1906, had an illustrious war career which included a year-long training sojourn in Errol in 1943-44 which his granddaughter is desperate to know more about.
“My grandfather was a hero pilot of the 1st Division of the Transport Air Force based at Vnukovo airfield,” said Ms Belorusova who is staying with her friend Helen Murray Threipland at Fingask Castle, Rait, who is herself of Russian descent.
“He fought in all major fronts of the Second World War the defence of Moscow, the siege of Leningrad, the defence of Sevastopol, the Belorussian front etc.
“He was a flying group commander. In the last days of the war, with all the colossal pressure, he had a stroke which left him disabled.
“He watched the victory fireworks in Moscow from his hospital window and died in 1948, aged 42. We have his many highest Russian military orders and medals at home.”
Ms Belorusova’s mother Lydia was young when her father died and all that survived were her childhood memories and his English course books as proof that he visited the UK.
For 15 years Ms Belorusova had been trying to find out the key to her grandfather’s UK trip without success until she visited the National Archive at Kew last month after a picture on the internet of Russians at Errol gave her a clue.
“As soon as I opened the 305 Squadron Operation Journal I saw my grandfather’s name and the whole jigsaw puzzle came together,” said Ms Belorusova.
“I read in the journal daily records that my grandfather, Sen Let Kolesnikov arrived at the Errol Station April 6 1943 for ‘training at Errol after having completed a course on Hercules XI at the Bristol Aircraft Co’ and left on March 24 1944.”
Local aviation enthusiast Bradley Borland (69), who worked at Errol Airfield, passed on his knowledge and showed her artefacts from the wartime era, including the RAF station bell.
Ms Belorusova found mention of a Christmas dinner in the Russian officers mess, and visits to local places including the Salutation Hotel in Perth and Megginch Castle.
Anyone with information should contact rburdge@thecourier.co.uk or telephone 01738 622273 who will pass it on.