Bristol Beaufighter LX 798 St Kilda

Aircraft wreckage on Conachair
© Des Colhoun

During World War II, a long range night fighter, Bristol Beaufighter LX798 of 304 FTU based at Port Ellen, Islay, crashed on Hirta, St Kilda within 100 metres (328 ft) of the summit of Conachair on the night of June 3, 1943, with the loss of two crew. Most of the wreckage slid down the hillside and was lost over over the cliffs, and no bodies were ever found. The time of the event may explain why this wreck is also reported on June 4, 1943.^[1][2]

The loss is commemorated by an RAF Memorial established within a small chapel on Hirta.

References

1 ⇑ Smith, David J (1997) High Ground Wrecks and Relics, Leicester, Midland Publishing Ltd ISBN 1857800702.

2 ⇑ After the Battle magazine, issue 30, pp 28-43.

External links

Aerial views

^{Live Search Maps is now called Bing Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth is now called Bing Maps for Enterprise, June 2009.}

Map

• Beaufighter LX798 of 304 Ferry Training Unit crash site NA099003
• Aircraft wreckage on Conachair at NA 095 001. Photograph assumed to be Beaufighter

Recent Page Trail: Secrets/LochFyneNoiseRange >> Secrets/AABatteryGreenland >> Secrets/CastleToward >> Secrets/ShielhillGlenCave >> Secrets/ClydeNavigationTrustBoundary