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Registration
or Serial:
L7109
Operators: Royal
Navy (Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) / Fleet Air
Arm (FAA / 766 RN Sqdn OTU / Albacore); Royal Air Force
(RAF)
Operating Base: RNAS Campbeltown. Base also for RAF
Machrihanish; HMS Landrail, and Disembarked Squadrons.
Base
Location: Machrihanish, Campbeltown, Argyll.
Current
Airport Status: Military Airport closed 1997. Operational Civil Airport.
Current
Airport Name:
Campbeltown (Machrihanish) Airport (IATA: CAL / ICAO: EGEC).
(Principal airport data courtesy of
John Woodside,
A
Catalogue of UK Airfields)
Aircraft Type & Background
Intended as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish, the Fairey
Albacore was designed as a single-engine biplane carrier-borne
torpedo bomber for use with the Royal Naval Air Service / Fleet Air
Arm. Some, however, entered service with the RAF and with the RCAF.
The Alabacore was equipped with a heated cabin and a Bristol Taurus
II radial engine (later versions had Bristol Taurus XII engines),
which were more powerful than the Pegasus engines fitted to the
Fairey Swordfish.
The Albacore carried one forward firing
.303in machine gun in the starboard wing; one or two
Vickers
K machine guns in the rear cockpit; one torpedo, or four or
six bombs (depending on weight).
Although it had some improvements over the Swordfish, many pilots
disliked the Albacore because it was found to be less manoeuvrable
than the Swordfish when attempting to escape after dropping its
torpedo.
The Albacore was also used for spotting / reconnaissance purposes.
Although intended to replace the Fairey Swordfish, the Swordfish in
fact outlasted the Albacore. Fairey Albacores were retired
gradually, being replaced by Fairey Barracudas and Grumman Avengers.
Aircraft Accident Details
On 8th September 1942, Albacore L7109 took off from RNAS Campbeltown (RAF Machrihanish)
on a night flying exercise. It had just crossed the stretch of water
known as 'Kilbrannan Sound',
between Kintyre and Arran. However, at 23:25hrs—and
while flying very low—the Albacore's
fixed undercarriage caught the twin wire fence on top of a dry stane
dyke. Consequently, the aircraft pitched over on its nose with
wreckage being strewn from the dyke to the heather-clad hillside
beyond. (At that time, the forest now standing on this site did not
exist.) The accident occurred near Rock Nose, not far from Shedog
Farm, Shiskine in Arran. The cause of the accident is not
known.
Some reports indicate that the aircraft crashed into the sea near
Shiskine. However, although since removed, wreckage was found near
Shiskine, which is located inland.
All three crew members perished in this accident. These were:
Sub Lt. Wilson was buried at
Campbeltown (Kilkerran) Cemetery, Division 4, Grave 603.
Sub Lt. E. B. Jones was buried at Tregaron (Bwlchgwynt) Calvanistic
Methodist Chapelyard, Cardiganshire.
Leading Airman R. T. Hill was laid to rest at Edinburgh (Warriston)
Crematorium. His name is commemorated on Panel 2 at Warriston.
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