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Registration
or Serial: JX273
Operator:
Royal Air Force
(No. 17 (Training) Group in Coastal Command / 302 Flying Training Unit).
Operating Base:
RAF Oban (X6ON) Moorings on Sound of Kerrera.
Base
Location Oban Bay,
North Connel, Argyll and Bute.
Current
Airport Status:
Closed 1945. (Used for flying boat operations only). Nearest current
(civil) airport: Oban / Connel.
Nearest Current
Airport Name:
Oban Airport / Connel Airfield (ICAO: EGEO / IATA: OBN)
(Principal airport data courtesy of
John Woodside,
A
Catalogue of UK Airfields)
Aircraft Nickname: Cat; Mad Cat; Black Cat, and others.
Aircraft Acronym
P:
Patrol
B: Bomber
Y: Consolidated manufacturer's ID
Aircraft Type & Background
First
flown in the United States in March 1935, the PBY was intended as a
long-range patrol aircraft. Originally equipped with two 850hp Pratt
and Whitney engines, these were replaced in later versions with
1200hp Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines. The aircraft had a
maximum speed of 179mph.
RCAF
versions of the Catalina were known as 'Cansos'. The were built by
Consolidated, Boeing of Canada, and Canadian Vickers.
The RAF
first began using these flying boats in 1941, renaming the Consolidated
PBY as the 'Catalina' - a name first used by Consolidated themselves
for their commercial versions, and adopted later by the US Navy.
According to the RAF, Coastal Command had 602 Catalinas (or
'Cats') at their disposal. (Higher number are cited elsewhere.) A
number of Catalinas
remain in civilian use today. (See the
Catalina Society for a
full list.)
Aircraft Accident Details
The Catalina
featured here (JX273) was built by Boeing of Vancouver, Canada. Sometime after its delivery
to the UK, this aircraft was assigned
to 302 Flying Training Unit, then operating from RAF Oban (a
flying boat base).
On the
evening of the crash, the Catalina
took off from Oban on the west coast of Scotland, fully loaded and with depth charges under each
wing. The aircraft was on a night training exercise with a complement of
nine persons, including the pilot and co-pilot.
The intended course
was via Barra Head. However, the aircraft was flying well off-course, and
was no longer above the sea, as the pilot believed. Realising the
navigational error, the pilot endeavoured to gain height. However,
when he had reached about 213m (700ft), the Catalina—which, by now, was
over higher ground—crashed into the side of Heishavel Beag
on Vatersay.
Of the nine personnel on board, three were killed and
the remaining six were injured.
Those who died were:
-
Flt
Sgt David Clyne, Captain (pre-war Scottish International
footballer)
-
Sgt R.
(Fred) Basset, Wireless OP-AG
-
Sgt
Patrick Hine, Rigger (mechanic)-AG
Those
injured were:
-
Sgt E. Kilshaw, 2nd Pilot
-
Sgt P.
Lee, Navigator
-
Sgt G.
Calder, Wireless Op / Mechanic-AG
-
Sgt
Roy Beavis, Engineer
-
Sgt
Ron Anstey, Wireless OP-AG
-
Sgt R.
Whiting, Flight Mechanic
The
survivors were taken by the Royal Navy to hospital in Oban.
Near the foot of the hillside, stands a
new memorial to those who died and to those who survived. The plaque
on this memorial pillar can be seen below. Photos of the memorial
pillar are available also at
South
Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
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Accident Date
12 May 1944
Accident
Site
Heishavel Beag,
Bhatarsaidh (Vatersay)
Region: Western Isles (restricted ferry
service)
Nearest
town or village: Bhatarsaidh (Vatersay),
S of Eílean Bharraídh (Isle of Barra)
OS Grid Ref:
Unknown
Present Condition
RAF recovery teams broke up the
aircraft, removing the engines, electronic equipment, and armaments
etc. from the site. However, some larger parts were left further
down the hill, where they had been dragged by the recovery teams.
These parts are still there today.
A
Panoramio photo of the remaining wreckage can be seen using
Google Earth.
Related Links
Museums with Connected
Exhibits
Offsite Photos & Info
RAF Link
Forums, Organisations, &
Societies
Other Links
Below: A US
Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina in flight
Photo : [no date] US Federal
Government photo released to the public domain. |
