Dunbeath air crash

A Short Sunderland Mk. III flying boat crashed in the Scottish Highlands, on a headland known as Eagle's Rock (Creag na h-Iolaire) near Dunbeath, Caithness, on 25 August 1942. The crash killed 14 of the 15 passengers and crew, including Prince George, Duke of Kent, the king's brother, who was on duty as an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force on a mission to Reykjavík. A Royal Air Force Board of Inquiry determined that the crash was the result of a navigational error by the crew leading to controlled flight into terrain.

Background

The aircraft of No. 228 Squadron RAF, was based at RAF Oban on the West Coast of Scotland. 228 Squadron was part of 18 Group, involved in long-range maritime operations and particularly anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance and long-range liaison flights. The aircraft flew from Oban to Invergordon on 23 August. Wing Commander Thomas Moseley, the commander of 228 Squadron was onboard. The Duke arrived at Invergordon by train on 24 August with a small entourage including his secretary Lt J Lowther RNVR, equerry Pilot Officer Hon Michael Strutt RCAF and his batman LAC Hales, RAFVR

The captain of the aircraft was Flight Lieutenant Frank Goyen, Moseley was 1st pilot, Pilot officer S W Smith RAAF was 2nd pilot. P/O Saunders RAFVR was the navigator. The rest of the aircrew was Goyen's regular crew of three wireless/air gunners Blacklock (RNZAF), Catt and Jack and four fitters Jones,Lewis, Hewardine and Sweett.

The accident

The aircraft and crew were on a VIP transport mission to RAF Reykjavik, specifically to fly Prince George, Duke of Kent, to Iceland in his role as the Inspector-General of RAF Welfare. As well as touring RAF bases on Iceland he was going to visit Royal Navy and British Army establishments and make goodwill visit to the American forces that were taking over the garrisoning of Iceland from the British.

The weather on the day was low stratus cloud with base at 300 to 2,000 ft; below it visibility was poor with some coastal fog, sea was calm with a light wind. The aircraft was at near maximum weight with sufficient fuel for 16 hours flight at 110 mph. The flight route was to fly east to the Cromarty Firth then north east keeping clear of the coast to level with Wick before turning first north then north west along the Pentland Firth and on past the Faroes to Iceland.

The aircraft took off from the seaplane base at RAF Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth in north East Scotland at 13:05 GMT on Sunday 25 August 1942 in fog, which persisted. The Sunderland, flying on instruments, veered off its planned flight path and crashed into the remote Eagle's Rock at 13:42 GMT. Fourteen of the fifteen crew and passengers, including the Duke of Kent, died in the crash. Sergeant Andrew Jack, the tail gunner, was the sole survivor.

A farmer and his son heard the aircraft and the explosion following the crash. At nearby Braemore, locals also heard the crash and the local medical officer was summoned; he collected a small search party which together with some of the local community and the police converged on the crash site. In 15-ft visibility caused by low cloud they were guided by the smell of petrol from the crash site. The first rescuers reached the crash about an hour after it happened. The Sunderland was on its back. Although the fuel tanks had exploded the depth charges it carried had not detonated. The medical officer, Dr Kennedy, found 11 bodies on the ground and three under burning wreckage; all had died instantly from multiple injuries.

Sgt Jack, who was normally the wireless operator had lost a toss-up with his fellow NCOs and so taken the rear gunner position on the flight. When the Sunderland crashed, the tail including the turret broke off Jack was injured and knocked unconscious. When he came to and found himself the only survivor, he followed a river down the hill hoping to find habitation, missing the rescue party coming up. He collapsed and did not recover consciousness again until late the following morning when he set off down the hill again and found a croft. He was taken in and help summoned. Dr Kennedy who was at his house with RAF and Admiralty officers from London, tended to Jack at the cottage before he was taken to a hospital at Lybster.