Bristol Beaufort AW345

Tannach, Wick, Highland

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UK (RAF)

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Australia (RAAF)

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PAGE 2 (Extracts from Accident Report and Pilot's Log)

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Joe Daly (Australia) for kindly providing detailed information for this page. The pilot of the aircraft involved in this accident was Joe Daly's uncle.

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All photographic material remains the property of the original author, and may not be reproduced elsewhere without that author's prior written permission.

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: A Bristol Beaufort in flight.

A Bristol Beaufort in flight

Photo: Crown Copyright (expired)

Source: RAF MoD Wallpapers

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Bristol 152 Beaufort / AW345

A twin-engine large reconnaissance, torpedo bomber and mine-laying aircraft, the Beaufort's design was based on the Bristol Blenheim light bomber. For a time, they used two Taurus 14-cylinder radial engines (or, sometimes, Pratt and Witney Twin Wasps). The aircraft could travel at about 260 mph (418 km/h), but the speed fell when carrying a torpedo. Carrying a crew of four, the Beaufort operated as the standard torpedo bomber between 1940 and 1943.

Bristol Beauforts were used by both the RAF (Coastal Command) and the Fleet Air Arm. They were used also by the SAAF and the RAAF; and, indeed, many Beaufort's were manufactured in Australia for use in the Pacific arena.

Aircraft Accident Details

Flt Sgt Maurice Joseph Daly and crew in Beaufort AW345, Call sign BX-A took off near midnight on a ‘Rover’ mission from RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland at 2325 Hrs on 27 May 1942. The patrol is suspected to have taken it over Norway in search of German shipping leaving the Fjords of Norway, as was the main job of 86 SQN at the time.

On returning to RAF Wick at approximately 0505 Hrs in poor weather on 28 May 1942, AW345 collided with the Chain Home Low Radar Tower at Tannach, SW of Wick removing a wing and 50 foot of radar mast.

[Above information kindly provided by Joe Daly]

For Accident Report and Pilot's Log, see here

BELOW: A Chain Home early warning radar station mast.

Beaufort AW345 struck one of these masts at Tannach near Wick on its return from a patrol over the North Sea.

chain home early warning radar station mast

Photo: 2007.

Released by the author to the public domain

Aircraft Crew Casualties

Those who died in this accident were:

Flt Sgt Maurice Joseph Daly (26), 404173 RAAF (Pilot). (Buried at Wick Cemetery)
Flt Sgt R Dunn RAF
Sgt H J Stone RAF
Sgt F G White RAF

Crash Site Photos

There are no crash site photos for this aircraft at the moment. However, for general photos of the now-derelict Tannach Chain Home Early Warning Radar Station, see here.