The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Adam Brown · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:22 pm Post subject: RAF Aircraft Losses, St Kilda

RAF Aircraft Losses, St Kilda
Location: Church, Hirta
OS Ref:

I don't suppose any of our members will be visiting St Kilda soon and I was recently reminded of Carl Rogerson who has memorial photographs on his website (http://www.carlscam.com/) which I've used once before on the War Graves Project. (See here).

I wanted to contact Mr Rogerson before about using his photographs but can't find an e-mail address for him and he does have a note on his site about using his images so I'm sure until we hear otherwise, or have a member visit St Kilda we can use Mr Rogerson's photgraphs.

And also from the website

The aircraft were

Beaufighter LX798, which crashed on Conachair, 4th June 1943
Sunderland ML858, which crashed on Gleann Mhor, 8th June 1944
An unidentified aircraft, believed to be a Wellington, which crashed on Soay

The Beaufighter Crew were

Sgt William DUXBURY RAFVR
Sgt Stanley THORNTON RAFVR

And the Sunderland crew were

WO Cecil OSBORNE RNZAF
F/O Richard FERGUSON RNZAF
F/O William THOMPSON RNZAF
W/O John LLOYD RNZAF
F/Sgt Bryan BOWKER RAF
Sgt Roy LEWIS RAFVR
Sgt Scoular THOMSON RAFVR
Sgt Francis ROBERTSON RNZAF
Sgt David ROULSON RNZAF
F/Sgt Oliver REED RNZAF

Mr Rogersons interest in the plaque was because of a Cheshire man Flight Sergeant Bowker

Adam

spoons · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject:

The Beaufighter crew were:

Name: THORNTON, STANLEY ALBAN
Initials: S A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 22
Date of Death: 04/06/1943
Service No: 1127535
Additional information: Son of Samuel Lindsay Thornton and Jennie Thornton, of South Shields, Co. Durham.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 167.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Name: DUXBURY, WILLIAM
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 20
Date of Death: 04/06/1943
Service No: 1139258
Additional information: Son of Joseph and Doris Duxbury, of Blackpool, Lancashire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 148.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

It seems their bodies were not recovered as they are listed on the Runnymede memorial.

\Paul

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Stornoway

There are two contenders as the Wellington which crashed into Soay (St Kilda).
Vickers Wellington Mark VIII of No 303 FTU Stornoway (LA 993) was lost undertaking navigation and fuel consumption tests. LA993 was last seen at 15.23 hours 4 miles north of Boreray on the date above. Visibility was 6-12 miles with showers at midday in Stornoway. It was not until 1979 that the remains of the crew of a crashed Wellington on the uninhabited Soay were buried there. The wreckage was originally found by Morton Boyd, a retired Squadron Leader, who climbed Soay’s vertical cliffs to make his grim discovery and parties landed by helicopter combed the site in 1978 and 1979.
It is believed that this is the correct plane as an alternative Wellington, HX 448 of No 7 OTU went missing near St. Kilda on 28 September 1942 flying from Silloth and Limavady to Rockall.
The latter aircraft had five Canadians in the six-man crew and a Canadian hat badge was found on Soay. However, Knutson, the Canadian navigator on LA993 and other evidence has led most investigators to opt for his aircraft.
Rear Gunner Alston of LA993 was washed up on the Isle of Lewis and was interred near his home in London.
HX448 was airborne for at least 4 hours and 49 minutes, the last and only bearings being Renfrew 292 3rd 0203 and Islay 303 3rd 203. The ETA for Rockall was 0310, given at 0100 hours and at 0415 overdue action was taken.
It has been assumed the crash site on Soay was raided as the guns, ammunition and dog tags were missing. Reports indicate five different RAF type shoes and an army boot with no suede flying boots one would expect in February flying conditions.
The St Kilda Church brass memorial plaque was dedicated by Father John Barry in 1979. The crews of the Beaufighter and Sunderland which crashed at Conaichair and Glen More on Hirta are listed on separate panels but the Wellington’s remain blank and it may be appropriate that both crews are added (but space obviously prohibits that).
The remains of the Sunderland crew were recovered from Glen More and buried at sea off HMT Walwyns Castle with a short service by Rev Lachlan Macleod.
The Beaufighter broke in half on impact with one engine and the tail section remaining on Hirta while the nose section, with both crew members, travelled on and fell down the sheer cliffs into the sea.

Regards
Malcolm Macdonald

MKMacdonald · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Stornoway

Sorry, while editing the last post, I inadvertently deleted 23 February 1943, as the date that LA993 crashed.

Regards
Malcolm

alexmaclennan · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: Visiting St Kilda

We sailed here about three weeks ago. The plaque is as shown on your first post. Polished and well kept. These are fantastic Edge of the World islands to visit.
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alex maclennan