Crashed aircraft in Caithness/Scotland

Some good local info here…http://forum.caithness.org/archive/index.php/t-709.html
Not got any updates on where the engines are, doubt it will be public knowledge as I suspect it was done in private.

Hi Barry miniman ,suggest that you open up a discussion on website caithness.org lots of local readers and some have posted wartime memories.

With your enthusiasm I feel that you could set up an informal local group to investigate sites, there is nothing in the MOd rules to prevent that.

Hi Scotvia, Thanks for the update. I will ask around the restorers to find out who has the merlin. I know most of them anyway, as im into restoring old mini’s myself (hence the handle)
Its a bit of a sin that these great items arent on display for others to see.
I feel that a lot of our heritage and stories etc are soon going to dissapear when the older generation go. I dont want that to happen, and thats why im desperately trying to find out info about my local areas aviation history. It really excites me, and I remember my granny telling me about Wick during the war. These stories just made me more interested.
Got any more yarns to tell about Caithness/RAF Wick in the war???? Im keen to know all that I can. I also want to find out about this hurri so I can build another RC model of it. Sqdn etc? My last build was Frank Careys mount FT-Y.It flew from RAF Wick for a spell in ww2.
Barry

Ok just to keep things in perspective…the Beaufighter engine is still at the croft, the powers that be are aware and not interested. The brothers are not interested in putting the engine on display in a museum and seem to have the same attitude that Walter Soplata had for many years ie , they found it, recovered it when no one else was bothered so its up to them what happens next.
The Hurricane Merlin has been in the care of a vintage vehicle restorer in the area and is kept out of sight. Given the way it was recovered I doubt that the keeper will want visitors and no I do not know where it is in Caithness. No doubt you can ask around the local vintage car buffs and find out.

And hope the MOD PLod don’t turn up on their doorstep!

I also heard locally that there was an engine recovered from something, and that it was taken away by the RAF recently to repair an aircraft in rebuild.
The plot thickens!;) mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The crofters who have the Beau engine know where the Hurricane engine is and who recovered it. Its another example of a recovery done on the quiet where the persons involved are not interested in bothering with permissions and afterwards take the view that its finders keepers.

And hope the MOD PLod don’t turn up on their doorstep!

I will have to pay the farmer a visit and find out more about this hurricane. Any info on the hurricane from you guys? Im a massive hurricane fan, and its just crying out to be modelled. I will need the planes details for this to happen though.
Thanks for the info,
Barry:)

The crofters who have the Beau engine know where the Hurricane engine is and who recovered it. Its another example of a recovery done on the quiet where the persons involved are not interested in bothering with permissions and afterwards take the view that its finders keepers.

I think there may have been a Hurricane recovered from the bog.

Hi Alan, Thanks very much for the info and link. I will have to pop out to the straths place and have a look for myself at the area where the beau went down. I know the guy that shares the land with the Mackays.
This is what has had me confused.I knew about the aircraft at the strath before, and that is the one that I referred to in my last post about the unbent prop. I had thought that they were the same, and the info was confused, but I have since found out that there is also another crash site on the causewaymire bog. It is supposedly a good two hours walk into the moor, south of the main road. Im in the middle of finding a guys phone number that has been to it last year. I should be able to supply some gps co-ordinates for the supposed spitty crash. The guy I heard was there is an aviation enthusiast also, so I hope he was able to identify it correctly!?
Thanks again,
Barry

There is a bit about it in the archived discussions from this forum, http://forum.keypublishing.com/archive/index.php?t-16013.html

I have also found the original discussion on rafcommands http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=printer_format&om=3201&forum=DCForumID6.

I remember reading about that one, it was a Beaufighter, I am fairly sure there was an article either on the internet or in one of the mags.

Hi Guys, I found out last night that this one had the engine removed by a farmer, the prop was complete and UNBENT! I spoke to a guy that recalls seeing a picture of it after the removal. It was a 2 blade prop, of approximately 12ft diameter. Possibly rotol?? An early spit or hurri would be a rather nice find, and if the prop wasnt bent, then it was surely a belly landing in the soft peaty moor. There could be a fair bit left to see.
Barry:)

Hi Drem, Thanks for the link. I have e-mailed them to see if they know anything about it. I hope so. I have also searched the other crash websites, but nobody has any info posted. I have a lead up here, but its just a case of trying to get hold of the guy.
Barry

Crashed aircraft in Caithness/Scotland

Hi Miniman,
Try this site,the 2 guys and their pooch who run it might be able to help you.
www.scotcrash.homecall.co.uk
Hope it is of some help.