The son and widow of two RAF veterans have placed a special poppy cross in the town to honour veterans.

Phyllis Fullarton, widow of veteran and former Advertiser editor Donald Fullarton, and Robin Bird, whose father served in the RAF, placed the cross at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment [MAEE] memorial in Kidston Park on Remembrance Sunday.

Each Remembrance Day since the memorial was built Donald had placed the poppy cross, but since his death in March 2022 his widow Phyllis has taken on the mantle.

Robin said: “The MAEE memorial was erected in 2017 following a campaign by yours truly and Donald Fullarton on behalf of Helensburgh Heritage Trust.

“In recent years Donald placed the poppy cross as I live on Merseyside and then there was Covid.

“After Donald died, his widow Phyllis kindly placed the poppy.”

The memorial honours all who served at the Helensburgh Airfield - located in Rhu - which opened in September 1939 and closed in November 1947. The memorial's construction was made possible thanks to the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.

The airfield was home to the MAEE which developed ways of locating and sinking German U-Boat submarines, conducted trials of the Barnes Wallis bouncing bombs and of a bomb used to sink the German battleship Tirpitz, and serviced flying boats.

Personnel in Helensburgh also worked on air-sea rescue methods, tested emergency and smoke flares, reflective mirrors, inflatable rafts and Lindholme containers filled with life-saving supplies.