Musician and RAF mechanic; Born December 29, 1916; Died July 21, 2006 WILLIE Dunlop was one of the stalwart members of Kilmarnock Strathspey & Reel Society and when Ayr & Prestwick Strathspey & Reel Society was started in the early 1970s, Willie attended the very first rehearsal and became a founder member.
He continued to play with the Ayr & Prestwick S & R Society even after he became conductor of the Kilmarnock orchestra, a position he held for 13 years. When the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra was started by John Mason, MBE, in 1980, Willie was a founder member, and in 25 years of the SFO he only missed two concerts. He retired from playing in 2006, through ill health, in his 90th year.
Willie spent most of his life in Kilmarnock and worked for 51 years in the Saxone shoe factory. He worked his way up, having starting at the bottom of the ladder. After the war, when he came back from the RAF, and having done a comprehensive engineering course, he was offered a placement as a mechanic in the very skilled department of machine maintenance, dealing with a wide variety of machines.
It was through the concerts organised by Saxone in the Grand Hall that Willie became interested in violin playing. With money he had saved, he bought his first violin for GBP6 and then took lessons from David Finney. He not only played Scottish music at that time, as his repertoire included Monti's Czardas, Heykin Serenade, Tosselli's serenade, Thais by Massenet and Souvenir by Drdla. By 1935 he had quite a reputation and was invited to play on the same programme as Leo Peroni.
The Second World War was declared on September 3, 1939, and Willie got his call-up papers in December that year. On January 10 he was on his way to join the RAF at Cardington in Bedfordshire.
He spent all of the war in the RAF, being demobbed in October 1945. He was employed as an airframe mechanic, working on Wellington and Blenheim bombers, Beaufighters and several others.
He was never sent abroad but he saw service in squadrons all over England and as far north as Wick.
While at the technical training centre at RAF Cosford, Willie achieved 98-per cent in the final examinations - an illustration of his meticulous workmanship.
While with the squadron in Hednesford on Cannock Chase, which was a training camp, the men were all asked if they played football or a musical instrument. Willie was an accomplished saxophonist as well as violinist.
However, they were not interested in the violin and after playing in several bands in the RAF as a saxophonist he joined a professional RAF band at Talbenny camp.
This was to stand him in good stead as, when he was demobbed and came back to Kilmarnock, he formed his first band called The Carlton. This band became very popular in the area and played at all the big dances in the Grand Hall, which had just been refurbished after being used to house soldiers during the war.
Willie had a full and enjoyable life. He was a very wellliked individual and he was never heard to speak disparagingly about anyone.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and will be missed by family, friends and colleagues.
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