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WW2 Aircraft crash sites
- Thread starter Flintlock
- Start date
Last week I was at the site of the 1944 Catalina crash on the island of Vatersay.
The crew of JX273 were on a night navigation training flight from Oban. Having taken off from there the pilots set course for the first turning point at Barra Head on Berneray, the southern most of the Outer Hebridies. At close to their expected time of arrival at Barra Head the navigator checked the course they were flying and realised they were to the north of track. He instructed the pilots to commence a climb to avoid high ground on the islands they were approaching. Before the aircraft had gained much height it struck the ground close to the summit of Theiseabhal Beag on the eastern side of the island of Vatersay. Three of the crew were killed in the crash or died of their injuries soon afterwards. The remaining crew were attended to by residents of Vatersay until the assistance came by lifeboat from the neighbouring (now causewayed) island of Barra. The three who died were buried in their home towns.
Those who died were:
WO David Johnston Robertson Clyne (Pilot)
Sgt Patrick William Noel Hine (Air gunner)
Sgt Frederick James Bassett (Air gunner)
Six other crew members survived the crash.
In these early days of flying and i realise some of these young men didnt get much training.
Do you think they were scared of flying high, or ordered to stay low?
So many crash needlessly into hills.
I'm no pilot by any means, but if i was flying i would make sure i was at least 500m higher than the highest land within the vicinity.
Maybe they wasn't given detailed maps of such things.
Do you think they were scared of flying high, or ordered to stay low?
So many crash needlessly into hills.
I'm no pilot by any means, but if i was flying i would make sure i was at least 500m higher than the highest land within the vicinity.
Maybe they wasn't given detailed maps of such things.
Added
Last week I was at the site of the 1944 Catalina crash on the island of Vatersay.
The crew of JX273 were on a night navigation training flight from Oban. Having taken off from there the pilots set course for the first turning point at Barra Head on Berneray, the southern most of the Outer Hebridies. At close to their expected time of arrival at Barra Head the navigator checked the course they were flying and realised they were to the north of track. He instructed the pilots to commence a climb to avoid high ground on the islands they were approaching. Before the aircraft had gained much height it struck the ground close to the summit of Theiseabhal Beag on the eastern side of the island of Vatersay. Three of the crew were killed in the crash or died of their injuries soon afterwards. The remaining crew were attended to by residents of Vatersay until the assistance came by lifeboat from the neighbouring (now causewayed) island of Barra. The three who died were buried in their home towns.
Those who died were:
WO David Johnston Robertson Clyne (Pilot)
Sgt Patrick William Noel Hine (Air gunner)
Sgt Frederick James Bassett (Air gunner)
Six other crew members survived the crash.
