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Operating Country

Operator

Manufacturer

Aircraft

Reg / Serial

 

 

RAF 

Consolidated

PBY* Catalina Mk IVB

JX273

 

 

UK

 

(Built by Boeing, Canada)

 * Designated 'Mk I', etc by RAF, rather than 'PBY' / Bomber

   

 

Below: The memorial plaque with the names of those involved in this accident at Vatersay. Three crew members died. Six sustained injuries but survived.

Memorial to those who died in Catalina crash at Vatersay

Photo: © 2008 S. White


Acknowledgment
Information regarding this aircraft
 accident site was kindly provided by
 
Giovanni Mendicino & June Gowland.

Aircraft Details

Crash Date / Location

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 Catalinawhich, by now, was over higher groundcrashed 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

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

 

a USN catalina in flight

Photo : [no date] US Federal Government photo released to the public domain.


Below: A US Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina at anchor, preparing for take-off.

US catalina riding at anchor

Photo : [no date] US Federal Government photo released to the public domain.

Below: US PBY gunner, with machine gun, mounting one of the two side gun blisters on the hull.

catalina crew member ascending to gun blister with machine gun

Photo : [no date] US Federal Government photo released to the public domain.


Site Photos and Comments

Acknowledgment

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this section
were kindly provided by
Steve White
and are used here by permission.

Below: Part of the Catalina's fractured wing with aileron or elevator section.

Part of Catalina wing with aileron or elevator section

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Catalina wing and other wreckage lie near shoreline at Vatersay

Above: A wing section and other wreckage lie near the shore at Vatersay.

The aircraft crashed on higher ground, but the wreckage was moved to its present location by RAF recovery teams.

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Another view of mangled wreckage piled up near shore

Above: Another view of the remaining wing sections, etc.

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Below: An unidentified section of wreckage from the Catalina flying boat.

Unidentified section of wreckage

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Below and Right: Other smaller sections of wreckage from JX273.

Another smaller section of wreckage from the flying boat

Unidentified wrecakage part

Photos: © 2008 S. White

Photo of wreckage with memorial in foreground

Above: The memorial to the victims of this air accident stands close to the remaining wreckage.

Note the road in the background, making access to this site easyalthough an air or ferry crossing from the mainland is involved.

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Below: The names of those who perished in this accident and also of those who were injured but survived are listed on this memorial plaque.

The names of those who died and who survived are listed on this plaque

Photo: © 2008 S. White

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this section
copyright © 2008 Steve White

These photographs must not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the original author.

 

 

Acknowledgment

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this section
were kindly provided by
Giovanni Mendicino & June Gowland
and are used here by permission.

Below: Remains of a wing from the Catalina flying boat on Vatersay.

Note the other wreckage in the extreme left of the picture, close to the shore (see also picture on right).

Photo: 2007 G. Mendicino & J. Gowland.

wing wreckage from catalina at varesay

another section of wreckage from the cat near the sea

Above: A close-up view of other wreckage lying closer to the shore.

Photo: 2007 G. Mendicino & J. Gowland.

memorial plaque naming crew of catalina JX273

Above: The memorial plaque affixed to the monument at Vatersay.

Photo: 2007 G. Mendicino & J. Gowland.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this section
copyright © 2007 Giovanni Mendicino & June Gowland

These photographs must not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the original author.

 

To view other aircraft, please go to the Crash Index page.

 

 

 

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