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MHG30841 - Aircraft Crash Site, Gairloch

Summary

Liberator aircraft crash site

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NG 812716 USAAF Liberator. The USAAF crew of nine and six passengers took off from Prestwick on June 13, 1945, returning home after the war. The B-24H left at 1315 hours from Prestwick on a route that should have taken it over Stornoway, but we can only guess at why it came over the mainland. A navigational error, instrumental or engine failure, all are possible. For whatever reason, to find themselves descending through thick cloud to attempt an emergency landing must have been fearsome. It seems the aircraft struck the top of Slioch and lost some bomb bay door parts. The descent continued until they broke through the cloud base over Gairloch. They circled once round the loch, possibly looking for a place to ditch, and may have decided on the sea loch itself. The aircraft was on the run in when they just failed to clear the rocky spurs by the Fairy Lochs. All crew and passengers were killed. This site is reached by parking in a sandy lay-by across the road from Shieldaig Lodge (on the B8056 Redpoint road), and walking back up the road, to a small ford on the burn and following the good right-of-way path past the ruined farm. After a few hundred metres, keep an eye out for a cairn on the left hand side, marking a small muddy path climbing quite sharply up the hill side through some small trees. Follow this, and take the right hand fork that skirts round the side of Sidhean Mor. On reaching the first loch, keep to the right again, round the shore, and you can't miss the wreckage strewn everywhere, in the Fairy lochs, and on the hillside at each side of the lochans. There is a war grave with various artifacts around.

J Aitken: 26/09/04

A B-24 Liberator aircraft crashed on June 13th, 1945. Possible engine fire and crashed whilst attempting a force landing. Large remains of aircraft in and around the location immediately SW of the crash site. Serial No. 42-95095. Sqd. 44 BG.

Information supplied by Alan Clark, 11/04/02.
Macclesfield Aviation Group, a member of the British Aviation Archaeological Council.
See assoc. docs. File.
J Aitken : 15/04/02.

Website - www.the-ateam.supanet.com or e-mail at Clark@theateam69.fsnet.co.uk
Website details supplied by A Clark, 11/04/02.
J Aitken : 17/04/02.

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 809 711 (200m by 200m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG87SW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	GAIRLOCH

Finds (0)

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