1945 — June 13, USAAF B-24 flight to US crashes, Sidhean Mor ~Gairloch, Scotland –all 15

Compiled 12-22-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–15  Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-24 pilot disorientation crash, Shieldaig, UK, 6-13-45.

–15  Baugher, Joe. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188). 8-7-2023 revision.

–15  Clark. “B-24H Liberator crashed at Sidhean Mor, near Gairloch 13th June 1945.” 8-6-2016.

–15  Scots Roots. “USAAF Liberator Crash Memorial, Gairloch.” 11-12-2015.

 

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 95:

“Date:                          Wednesday 13 June 1945

“Time:                         15:25

“Type:                         Consolidated B-24H Liberator

“Owner/operator:        United Sates Army Air Force (USAAF)

“Registration:              42-95095

….

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15

….

“Location:                   Shieldaig – United Kingdom [76.5 miles north of Sidhean Mor.]

“Phase:                        En route

“Nature:                       Military

“Departure airport:      Prestwick, UK [Scotland]

“Destination airport:    Meeks Field at Keflavik in Iceland

“Narrative:                   Crashed as pilot became disoriented. All fifteen occupants died in the

crash.” [Note: Clark has probable cause as engine problem.]

 

Baugher: “42-95023/95288 Ford B-24H-25-FO Liberator….95095 (44th BG, 66th BS) crashed at Sidhean Mor, near Gairloch, Scotland, Scotland Jun 13, 1945 while en route from Prestwick to Meeks Field, Iceland. 9 crew, 6 passengers killed. There is a memorial at the crash site.”

 

Clark. “B-24H Liberator crashed at Sidhean Mor, near Gairloch 13th June 1945.” –

 

“Throughout the summer of 1945 the USAAF was re-positioning personnel, either for demobilization in the USA or to the Pacific for the continuing war against Japan. Many aircrew were returned to the US by air, either in aircraft which were destined for the Pacific or ones which were simply being used as a ferry aircraft before being put into storage for eventual disposal. One of these flights was being made with a B-24H of the 44th Bombardment Group, it had been flown to BAD2 at Warton and then on to Prestwick. It was to fly from Prestwick to Meeks Field at Keflavik in Iceland before its final leg across the North Atlantic to the USA. It took off from Prestwick under instrument flying conditions at about 14:00 on the 13th June and flew northwards, its planned route taking the aircraft via the Isle of Skye to overhead Stornaway before heading out over the Atlantic to Iceland.

 

“As it approached the NW coast near Gairloch the aircraft was in serious difficulties, rapidly descending through the clouds in a gentle turn to port. At 15:25 the B-24 crashed killing all onboard and was completely destroyed by fire. The crash site is at least 25 miles to the East of the intended track from Prestwick to Stornaway but is only a few miles off the direct track.

 

“While the accident investigators were not able to make any firm conclusions they suggested the most likely reason for the crash was an uncontrollable engine fire as parts had come off the aircraft before impact and they showed signs of fire damage. The reported surmised that after being unable to extinguish the fire the crew were trying to crash land before the aircraft broke apart but struck the rocky ground surrounding Sidhean Mor and the ‘Fairy Lochans’ while still in cloud and exploded.”

 

Crew:  Jack GB. Ketchum                  1st Lieutenant               Pilot

Jack H. Spencer                      1st Lieutenant               Co-pilot

Richard J. Robak                    2nd Lieutenant              Navigator

Hillburn L. Cheek                   Technical Sergeant      Engineer

James C. Stammer                   Technical Sergeant      Radio Operator

Eldon J. Gilles                         Staff Sergeant              Gunner

Albert L Natkin                       Staff Sergeant              Gunner

Raymond E. Davis                  Staff Sergeant              Gunner

Herman Riefen                        Staff Sergeant              Air gunner

John B. Ellis Jnr                      Staff Sergeant              Passenger

James D. Harvey                     Staff Sergeant              Passenger

Alexander W. Hastings           Staff Sergeant              Passenger

Emil Einarsen                          Staff Sergeant              Passenger

John H. Hallissey                    Staff Sergeant              Passenger

Robert J. Francis                     Staff Sergeant              Passenger.”

 

Scots Roots: “The Fairy Lochs are a group of small lochs in the hills to the south of Badachro near Gairloch in Wester Ross. Although they make for a fine walk, they are also known for the war memorial to a crashed USAAF Liberator bomber which came down here in 1945 killing all 15 of the men on board.

 

“It’s a tragic story, not least because the war in Europe had ended and these young men were on their way home to the United States. Just weeks before, all of them had been assigned to slow surface transport back to the USA, but orders were changed when this B-24 that had just been repaired became available for a faster trip home.

 

“On 13th June 1945, they left Prestwick Airfield in Scotland heading first for Keflavik in Iceland, a route that should have taken them across Stornoway in the Western Isles. It’s not clear how they ended up inland over Gairloch but something went wrong, perhaps bad weather, perhaps mechanical failure.

 

“All fifteen of the men perished – nine crewmen and six passengers from Air Transport Command. The bodies were all recovered for burial so this is not a war grave as such but most of the wreckage still litters the hillside over a large area and some can be seen in the lochs. A memorial plaque has been placed on a cliff-face beside some of the wreckage. Those who perished were:

 

Flight Crew

 

1st/Lt Jack B Ketchum (22), Pilot.

1st/Lt J H Spencer (22), Co-Pilot.

2nd/Lt R J Robak (20), Navigator.

Technical Sgt H L Cheek (21), Flight Engineer.

Technical Sgt J C Stammer (23), Wireless Op.

Staff Sgt E J Gilles (24), Air Gunner.

Staff Sgt A L Natkin (20), Air Gunner.

Staff Sgt R E Davis (26), Air Gunner.

Staff Sgt H Riefen (25), Air Gunner.

 

Air Transport Command

 

Staff Sgt J B Ellis Jr. (24), 314th T.C.G.

Staff Sgt J D Harvey (30), 314th T.C.G.

Staff Sgt A W Hastings (23), 314th T.C.G.

Staff Sgt E Einarsen (48), 314th T.C.G

Staff Sgt J H Hallissey (27), 93rd B.G. (H)

Staff Sgt R J Francis (20), 323rd B.G. (H).

 

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 95. USAAF B-24 pilot disorientation crash, Shieldaig, UK, 6-13-1945. Accessed 12-22-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/101013

 

Baugher, Joe. 1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-91974 to 42-110188). 8-7-2023 revision. Accessed 11-30-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.html

 

Clark, Alan. “B-24H Liberator 42-95095 of the 66th BS // 44th BG, 9th USAAF, crashed at Sidhean Mor, near Gairloch 13th June 1945.” 8-6-2016. Accessed 12-22-2023 at: https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/consolidated-b-24h-42-95095-sidhean-mor/

 

Scots Roots. “USAAF Liberator Crash Memorial, Gairloch.” 11-12-2015. Accessed 11-30-2023 at: https://scotsroots.wordpress.com/2015/11/12/usaaf-liberator-crash-memorial-gairloch/