Environmental Impact - Crashed Planes
Tragedy in the Moray Firth

This is an account of a little know tragedy and the events leading up to it, which occurred in the Moray Firth during the last months of WW2, nearly sixty years ago. It involves two American built 4 engine bombers of the RAF which arrived at Tain Drome on 9th March 1945, both landing on a wing and a prayer. The story is pieced together from a letter from the historian of No 53 Squadron RAF and a meeting with the sole survivor of the tragedy, an ex-member of the WAAF who was stationed at RAF Tain at the time.

The story begins on the seabed of the Moray Firth, off Helmsdale in the 1980s when the wreck of a 4 engine aircraft was picked up by underwater cameras during an inspection of an under sea oil pipeline. The find was reported to a daily newspaper, which the writer contacted, informing them that many years ago he had been told by a relative (who had been a coast guard at Helmsdale during the war) that he had witnessed a Liberator Bomber crash into the sea and that a local fishing boat had rescued a WAAF survivor. This information was duly published, resulting in several replies from people in the area who remember the tragedy and also an invitation to meet the sole survivor.

The story now switches to the North Atlantic in the early hours of the 9th March 1945 when two Liberators  based at Reykjavik in Iceland were on escort duties to a convoy. A message had just been received by to divert to RAF Tain as the weather was deteriorating over Iceland when suddenly a green light was seen in the Murk, on the port bow and a collision with the other aircraft was unavoidable, it was Liberator 303Y. The port outer and inner propellers sliced through plane’s cat walk of the bomb bay and fuselage further aft. There were no injuries, except that one of the crew received a glancing blow on his boot from a propeller. The captain’s suitcase was cut through by another propeller and his mackintosh was bisected!

This aircraft made it to RAF Tain and landed safely with the bomb load aboard.

After impact, 303Y’s port engines were out of commission. Control was regained at 15,000 feet. Port inner engine was feathered and port outer picked up again and continued to run, despite the damaged propeller. They too were diverted to RAF Tain and landed safely..

Liberator 303Y remained at Tain for major repairs, replacement of engines and propellers, etc which would take some time. The crew rejoined the squadron in Iceland.

By the 16th April new engines etc had been fitted and the Liberator was ready for an air test. Now manned by a new crew, for the trip to Reykjavik. Just before takeoff, for the air test over the Moray Firth, the crew were joined by 2 members of the WAAF who had been invited on the air test. Part of the air test was to feather each engine in turn, the aircraft then flying on 3 of the 4 engines. During this manoeuvre, the control was lost and the Liberator crashed into the sea off Helmsdale, breaking its back. The sole survivor, seriously injured, found herself in a calm sea near the tail of the aircraft and managed to stay afloat. She was soon rescued by a local fishing boat and was soon in the capable hands of the staff and Lawson Memorial Hospital, Golspie.

Wick Lifeboat and an air-sea rescue launch from Meikle Ferry searched unsuccessfully for any survivors. Sadly, the other WAAF was killed in the crash and her body recovered from the sea. The six members of the crew which included 3 members of The Royal Canadian Air Force were lost and officially reported as missing.

The WAAF survivor made a good recovery in hospital and was eventually demobilised and married an airman. She was befriended by the family of the skipper of the fishing boat which rescued her and has been a frequent visitor to their home at Helmsdale over the years. She is still alive and, resides in Fife.

There is little doubt that the 4 engine aircraft picked up by the underwater cameras is indeed Liberator 303Y and is the grave of these six young airmen, who lie in the company of many other RAF air crews, and men of the Royal and Merchant Navies who perished with their ships and aircraft during World War 2 and lie beneath the waves of the Moray Firth.

No headstones and flowers for them.