Mystery crash landing - Skye

[nibsco]

Does a list of wartime RAF crashes/crash landings exist on the web? I have a book of local oral history which refers to a crash landing where I live in North Skye by an aircraft from Lossiemouth at the beginning of the war. The aircraft dug its undercarriage into soft land and flipped over. Oxford or Harvard maybe? This is the recollection of an old lady, so whether even the airfield is correct I'm not sure. It must have made quite a dent because she says that the damage to a drainage ditch is still visible today. I have researched all the other known crashes on Skye, but this remains a mystery.

[Alan Clark]

The aircraft was an Oxford from No.8 FTS at Montrose / Dyce. There was no mention of it in the unit Operations Record Book.

The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File has the following:

L9644 8 SFTS "Crashed in forced landing while lost and overturned, Duntulm, Skye, 28.11.39."

The aircraft appears to have been written off as there is no further record of it. I notice you couldn't get much further north on Skye than Duntulm.

[nibsco]

That is absolutely brilliant! Many thanks.

Yes, here in Duntulm we can see the lights of Stornoway on a clear night!

Nibsco

[nibsco]

Alan, while I am in contact with you I wonder if you have any info regarding the location of the crash site of Spitfire Sherwood Forester in North Skye?

[Alan Clark]

I don't have much information about this aircraft other than it crashed near Talisker.

Below is an entry about the aircraft from the 8 OTU Operations Record Book, stationed at Dyce.

June 19th 1943, “Casualty: Spitfire R7198 Pilot 1467449 Sgt Mosley J.E. crashed while on a cross country exercise at Talisker (Isle of Skye). The pilot was killed and the aircraft a complete wreck.

[nibsco]

Again, many thanks.

I read somewhere of a crash site near a big house, which may well be Talisker House.

Incidentally I feed these snippets through to a friend's website

http://www.isbuc.co.uk/People/index.php

I now note that the Oxford was showing up, but unconnected to Duntulm.

[Alan Clark]

The location given for the Spitfire would fit with what I was told about it, apparently it was close to a broch, and there is one on that hill.

[nibsco]

I have identified it on the OS Landranger map. Pity my poor health prevents me from scaling those close-packed contours!


Do your records show anything on Hudson AM791 and Hampden P1174, I wonder?

I've often wondered what movements there might have been at the airstrip at Glen Brittle. It had scheduled tourist flights from Renrew (DH Rapide) prewar, but as Glen Brittle House was a commando training centre (I believe) I wonder if there were any army communications flights.

[Alan Clark]

I did look up the relevant entry for Hudson AM791 in the 608 Squadron ORB for a friend. The original was hand written and wasn't that clear on the microfilm reader.

July 21st 1942, “Hudson, P, AM791.
F/O Austin J. S.
P/O Hunter, H.J.
F/Sgt Frost, R.M.
P/O Lambitt, J.D.
Butter 10, Stornaway 23.33, Force Landing 07:40.
Carried out patrol. No thing to report. Could not find Stornaway on return + eventally force landed on shore at Ardvore Bay, Skye owing to shortage of petrol. a/c damaged but no casualties. Picked up at 14.00 hrs."

I know of the Hampden but haven't got any details about it, I thought I had seen mention of it in a book but can't find it.

[nibsco]

Okay, a final thanks Alan. I'll credit your contribution on what I pass through, and mention your website, if I may...

[Alan Clark]

No problem, glad to be of help.

Also I should say that I missed a couple of crew and passengers from the B-24 crew list on my site (I have since updated it). They were missing from the accident report and it was only when Dave Earl (Hell on High Ground) spotted them that I realised how I had lost them.

[Niall campbell]

Sorry this is such an old thread , but I am one of the owners of the farm and can confirm there was a crash on the farm.
It was a misty dark night and clipped one of our hills.
We used to lay flowers every year for the pilot.
I have no idea who it was and I came across this trying to find out who it was