Lockheed Hudson Wreck on Ben Lui
Pictured here are the remains of Lockheed Hudson Mk.III bomber, Serial Number T9432 (ZS-B) of 233 Sqn Royal Air Force, which was based with Coastal Command at Aldergrove, Northern Ireland. The plane crashed into Ben Lui near Tyndrum on 15 April 1941, sadly killing all four crew members on board. The aircraft struck the southeast side of the mountain in poor weather, close to the snow-covered summit then ploughed its way into a narrow gully and simultaneously disintegrated. Pilot Douglas Eric Green, his Co-pilot Fredrick Victor Norman Lown, and crew of Leonard Alfred Aylott and Wilfred Alan Rooks all perished.
When viewed from the A82 Glasgow - Fort William road just east of Tyndrum the mountain takes on an almost Alpine appearance if snow-capped. The route straight up the corrie, which I`ve done a couple of times, is the classic winter ascent, but usually the mountain is climbed via its east or west ridge with the descent made down the other arm for a full circuit. The route up the east side of the corrie, where the remains of the Hudson lie, is a bit easier than slogging up the west. In either case, there is a degree of exposure, particularly on the upper reaches of the west ridge which has some steep drops.
Ben Lui`s subsidiary top, (left) which lies just a few hundred metres to the west of the main summit, must be one of the easiest to `bag`. Many mountains are comprised of one or more separate tops and serious Munroists try and climb all these satellite peaks in addition to the main Munro. To do so often requires a great deal of extra effort but not in this case. |
Above: Cononish Farmhouse (bottom right) looking towards the massive bowl of the Ben Lui`s northeast corrie with the east ridge on the left and west ridge on the right. The view on the right shows some of the wreckage strewn along the upper section of the gully. This location is on the east ridge very close to the normal ascent / descent route.
Initially designed as a light bomber, the American-built Hudson went on to serve in coastal reconnaissance, transport and training roles. The first RAF aircraft were delivered shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War with No 224 Squadron at Leuchars receiving the initial batch in May 1939. Despite being outclassed by larger bombers, the Hudson remained in service throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command. The Hudson was also used by the US Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force in an anti-submarine role and both used the type to make their first U-Boat `kill` of the war.
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No. 233 Squadron, to which this crashed aircraft belonged, was established towards the end of the Great War and disbanded within a year of hostilities ending. It reformed on 18 May 1937 as part of the RAF`s Coastal Command, and in 1939 the squadron relocated to Scotland by which time Hudsons were coming on-line to replace the Avro Ansons currently in use. This Imperial War Museum image shows the crew of another Coastal Command Hudson, in this case belonging to 269 Squadron, about to set off on patrol.
No. 233 Squadron was one of five RAF squadrons to be equipped with Hudsons and by December 1940 it had relocated from Leuchars to Aldergrove, Belfast. In August 1941 the squadron moved again, this time to Cornwall to patrol the Bay of Biscay, but during its relatively short time at Aldergrove No 233`s Hudsons had shot down a Heinkel He-111 bomber, an FW-200 Condor long-range reconnaissance bomber and damaged two U-boats.
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The Ben Lui crash occurred about 22:40 hours on 15 April 1941 and a short time before, the personnel manning a listening post at Crianlarich, several kilometres away, apparently heard an aircraft fly overhead in the direction of Ben Lui. Concern grew when no further reports of the aircraft were received from the other posts in the region. It seems that the following morning, around 05:00 hrs, the village policeman from Crianlarich, along with two special constables, went to Cononish Farm at the foot of the mountain to make enquiries with the farmer. On the 17th, presumably when the weather cleared, the farmer spotted the wreckage through his telescope. The modern-day green sheds at Cononish Farm can just be made out to the left of the river in the above view.
This shot, taken during an ascent of Ben Oss which is the Munro immediately east of Ben Lui, could very well show the angle that the Hudson approached the latter mountain after passing over Crianlarich on the fateful night.
When the military authorities received the report, they initially thought that the wreckage would be that of Spitfire R6643 which had been missing since 10 April. On 18 April 1941 a `rescue` party made its way onto the hill and discovered that the aircraft was actually the 233 Squadron Hudson. (The Spitfire has never been traced). The bodies of the four airmen, all sergeants, were subsequently recovered and a salvage team from RAF Grangemouth removed some of the wreckage over the following week. Normally the military authorities would ensure that most if not all of a wrecked aircraft was removed, particularly in wartime, but due to the remote location and nature of the terrain, most of the Hudson`s remains had to be left in situ.
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As I hadn`t planned to return to the Ben Lui in the foreseeable future I took plenty of photographs of the crash site which may prove useful to anyone researching the wreck. These shots were all taken in July 2011. Two walkers heading home after an ascent of the mountain are pictured above left, approaching Cononish Farm.
Below: This memorial sits beside the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick, within view of the Bass Rock. It not only commemorates the personnel of RAF Coastal Command who lost their lives in the Second World War but also recognises the vital role Coastal Command played in defeating the Nazi U-boat menace and protecting the shipping lanes. It is one of two such memorials in the UK, each named `Constant Endeavour` which was the motto of Coastal Command. The other is located within London`s Westminster Abbey.
Scotland was strategically important for operations in both the Battle of the Atlantic and the North Sea. Long-range flying boats were based on the coast at Oban, Invergordon and Sullom Voe, and many other types of aircraft flew missions from inland airfields dotted around the country. It is fitting therefore that one of the memorials should be placed north of the border.
Right: This rare IWM image shows Hudson Mark V, AM853 'OY-K', of No.48 Squadron RAF based at Wick, Caithness, in flight along the Scottish coastline during WW2. |
The aircraft most often associated with Coastal Command is the Short Sunderland, many of which were built at Dumbarton. There is a striking black and white photograph from World War 2 which shows a lumbering Sunderland flying-boat taking off from the Clyde, directly in front of Dumbarton Castle. Although the town`s connection with shipbuilding is well known its contribution to aviation is less so. As well as building ships, the yards at Dumbarton were involved in the construction of aircraft during both World Wars. During the First, Denny`s built a small number of aircraft for the Royal Flying Corps.
By 1936 the Authorities recognised that another war with Germany was a distinct possibility, and steps were taken to improve Britain`s defences. The Government set up a number of satellite or `shadow` factories, not only to increase the overall output of military aircraft but also to move production away from well known centres to lessen the chance of severe disruption should concentrated industrial sites connected with the war effort be bombed. The Blackburn Aircraft Company`s facility at Dumbarton, which began assembling aircraft by 1938, was one such operation. The extensive factory site covered the area where the football ground and sheds now stand and the adjacent area that can be seen being cleared for a housing development. At its peak the factory employed around 4,000 workers who built several different types of aircraft, including the Short Sunderland flying-boat. |
One of the best-known aircraft of the Second World War, the massive Sunderland was knick-named the `Flying Porcupine` by the Germans due to its impressive array of defensive firepower. It served in various theatres of war and proved successful in a variety of roles including that of a submarine-hunter with Coastal Command. The Dumbarton factory went on to build around 250 of these magnificent machines out of a total of 749. Initially a purpose-built barge transported completed planes out onto the Clyde for launch, however, in 1939, a slipway was constructed which allowed them to taxi into the water under their own power and manoeuvre, ready for take-off.
The last Sunderland was completed at Dumbarton in October 1945 but that was not the end of the story; these aircraft took part in the Berlin Airlift and later, the Korean War and many, like ML814, were converted to airliners for use on long-haul routes to exotic destinations. When flying-boat production ceased the Dumbarton factory changed to the production of aluminium pre-fabricated houses to meet the massive post-war demand for additional housing. The factory there finally closed in 1960 and the buildings were dismantled. The shots below are of Oban-based aircraft.
The last Sunderland was completed at Dumbarton in October 1945 but that was not the end of the story; these aircraft took part in the Berlin Airlift and later, the Korean War and many, like ML814, were converted to airliners for use on long-haul routes to exotic destinations. When flying-boat production ceased the Dumbarton factory changed to the production of aluminium pre-fabricated houses to meet the massive post-war demand for additional housing. The factory there finally closed in 1960 and the buildings were dismantled. The shots below are of Oban-based aircraft.
Only five examples of the Short Sunderland remain, including UK preserved examples at the RAF Museum, Hendon, and the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, seen here. The only airworthy example is Serial Number ML814 which served with Canadian and Norwegian squadrons during the Second World War and is currently an exhibit at the Fantasy of Flight aviation museum in Florida.