Vickers Wellington R1164

Box Law, Largs, N. Ayrshire

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Acknowledgments

Photos and information for this page were kindly provided by Giovanni Metra and Steve White. Steve also kindly provided GPS references for this crash site.

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All photos remain the property of their original author(s) and may not be reproduced elsewhere without the respective author's prior written permission.

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: An RAF Vickers Wellington bomber.

An RAF Vickers Wellington bomber in flight

Photo: Source unknown

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Vickers Wellington IC / R1164

(Click hyperlink above for RAF history of this type)

Aircraft Type Nickname: Wimpy (or Wimpey).

The Wellington was a medium bomber, of which there were 16 variants, the first Wellington bombers were powered by two 1,050 hp Bristol Pegasus Mk. I radial engines. It had a maximum speed of 235 mph (410 km/h)

Like the Vickers Wellesley, the Wellington was constructed using a geodetic (lattice) framework to provide additional strength and durability for the fuselage. As a result of this design by Barnes Wallis, Wellington bombers were able to survive and return safely to base even after sustaining considerable damage.

The first Wellingtons entered service with No. 9 Squadron RAF. Later, an improved version entered service with RAF Bomber Command. The aircraft carried a crew of six.

BELOW: A Vickers Wellington Mk 1A (N2980) on display at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey, UK.

Note the geodetic structure which strengthened this aircraft very considerably, and enabled it to continue flying after sustaining heavy damage.

Vickers Wellington Mk 1A (N2980) on display at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey

Photo: 2006 Tony Tipton

(CC-BY-2.5. Released by the author under GNU Free Documentation License.)

Aircraft Accident Details

This aircraft was on a ferry flight from RAF Kirkbride in Cumbria (RAF 41 Group Maintenance) to RAF Lossiemouth in Morayshire, when it crashed into Box Law in the North Ayrshire hills. The circumstances surrounding the crash are unknown.

Aircraft Pilot Casualty

It is believed that the ferry pilot died in the accident. He was:

F/O J.F.M. Millar

Details of other crew members are unknown.

Crash Site Photos

BELOW: The very highly fragmented debris field at Box Law. This is almost all that remains of the Wellington bomber.

The Wellington's very fragmented debris field at box law

BELOW: One of the few larger pieces of remaining wreckage.

a few larger pieces of the remaining wreckage

BELOW: Remains of reduction gear from one of the engine / propeller shafts.

remains of reduction gear

BELOW: More fragmented parts from the Wellington.

more fragmented parts from the Wellington

BELOW: The small body of water at the top left of this picture lies just below Box Law and close to the crash site.

debris field not far from small body of water

BELOW: Some of the wreckage lies in muddy or boggy ground.

Some wreckage lies in muddy or boggy ground

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

BELOW: Some of the remaining wreckage parts from the Vickers Wellington bomber. The parts appear to have been collected and piled by hand.

pile of wreckage from wellington bomber

BELOW: Highly fragmented remains of the Wellington bomber. The gear assembly can just be seen on the left of the photo.

fragmented remains of vickers wellington R1164

BELOW: Close-up of a reduction gear assembly from one of the Wellington's four Bristol Pegasus engines.

close-up of wellington reduction gear assembly

BELOW: Another view of the many fragments remaining onsite.

another view of debris field

BELOW: More fragmented parts lying in the boggy ground around Box Law.

more fragmented parts lying in the boggy ground

BELOW: A few larger parts of the wreckage. At this crash site, most of the remaining parts are too fragmented to identify positively.

a few larger pieces of wreckage

Photo Gallery

There are no additional photos of this aircraft crash site in the Photo Gallery.

TOP OF PAGE

Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 25 Jan 1941

Accident Site:

Box Law

(Lying on the hillside SW of Box Law summit.)

Other Crashes near this Location:

(1) de Havilland Devon VP969, Box Law / Slaty Law;

(2) Vickers Viking G-AIVE, Irish Law.

Region: North Ayrshire (Clyde-Muirshiel Regional Park)

Nearest town or village:

Largs

Nearest large towns: Largs (W) or Kilbirnie (E)

OS Grid Ref. N/A

GPS Ref: NS 25626 60970 (collected debris)

GPS Ref: NS 25661 60929 (majority of remains)

Present Condition: The wreckage was removed from the site by an RAF recovery team. Fragments remaining onsite consist mostly of small bits of tubing and panels.

Aircraft Details

Registration or Serial: R1164

Operator: RAF (20 Operational Training Unit (OTU); (later transferred to No. 91 Group))

Operating Base: RAF Lossiemouth (ferry flight to); RAF No. 91 Group Bomber OTU. Operating base also for No. 46 Maintenance Unit (MU), and RN HMS Fulmar.

Base Location: Lossiemouth, Morayshire, 5 miles N of Elgin.

Current Airport Status: Operational Military Airport.

Current Airport Name: RAF Lossiemouth (EGQS)

Principal airport data courtesy of John Woodside, A Catalogue of UK Airfields