Ross and Cromarty

The crew was completing a flight from Montreal to Karachi, the aircraft being delivered to the Pakistan government. While approaching the Scottish coast, both engines failed. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft off Kyleake. On touchdown, the seaplane lost its floats, drifted away and eventually sank. Five crew members were rescued while the navigator was killed.

The aircraft left RAF Kinloss at 1800LT on March 13 for a night navigation training exercise. Some 6 1/2 hours after leaving Kinloss, the crew reported that they were approximately 60 miles to the North of Cape Wrath. After this point there was no further radio contact with aircraft, as by the following morning the aircraft had failed to return to base or land at another airfield a search was initiated. This was carried out by numerous aircraft from airfields in Scotland but there were no sightings. On the 17th March as report was received that a red flash had been seen in the Torridon area around the time the aircraft disappeared. An aerial search of the Torridon mountains was carried out and the burnt out wreckage of air aircraft was spotted high on the northern side of Beinn Eighe at the top of the cliffs of the Triple Buttress. Ground units set out to attempt to reach the site to confirm that is was the missing Lancaster but could not reach the site due to deep lying snow and further poor weather, together with a lack of suitable equipment. It was the end of March before members of the RAF Mountain Rescue Team from Kinloss were able to reach the wreck to begin the task of recovering the bodies of the crew. The recovery of the last missing airmen was not carried out until August 1951 when enough snow had melted to uncover his body.
Crew (120th Squadron):
Fl/Lt Harry Smith Reid, pilot,
Sgt Ralph Clucas, copilot,
Sgt Robert Strong, navigator,
Sgt Peter Tennison, signaller,
Sgt James Naismith, signaller,
Sgt Wilfred D. Beck, signaller,
Sgt James W. Bell, signaller,
Sgt George Farquhar, signaller.
Source and photo:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/avro-lancaster-tx264-beinn-eighe/

The crew (236th OCU) was engaged in a night training sortie from RAF Kinloss. While flying in the vicinity of Tain, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a prairie. All five crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

The aircraft was returning to the US from Prestwick, with an intermediate stop in Keflavik. While overflying Ross and Cromarty, crew encountered unknown technical problems and the aircraft lost height until it struck the slope of Mt Slioch (981 meters) located near Gairloch. All 15 occupants were killed.
Crew:
T/Sgt Hillburn L. Cheek,
S/Sgt Raymond E. Davis,
S/Sgt Emil Einarsen,
S/Sgt John B. Ellis Jr.,
S/Sgt Robert J. Francis,
S/Sgt Eldon J. Gilles,
S/Sgt John H. Hallisey,
S/Sgt James D. Harvey,
S/Sgt Alexander W. Hastings,
1st Lt Jack B. Ketchum,
S/Sgt Albert L. Natkin,
S/Sgt Herman Riefen,
2nd Lt Richard J. Robak,
1st Lt Jack H. Spencer,
T/Sgt James C. Stammer.

The crew left RAF Invergordon to perform a night training mission consisting of landing practice. Apparently, an engine caught fire in flight and the seaplane crashed into the Cromarty Firth off the village of Nigg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (4th OTU):
George Robert Sawhill Riddell,
John Raymond Harnwell,
William McCarroll,
Sydney Albert Spencer.

The crew was performing a night training sortie out from RAF Invergordon. On landing in the Cromarty Firth, the seaplane went out of control and sank. There were no casualties. Crew from the 4th OTU.

The crew was engaged in an antisubmarine patrol flight off the British coast on behalf of the fourth Operational Training Unit. Shortly after takeoff from RAF Invergordon, while climbing, the engine number three failed. Few seconds later, it caught fire and fell off, causing severe vibrations. The crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in a huge explosion on a railway road located 3 km northeast of the Invergordon Station. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew (4th OTU):
F/Lt John Alfred Johnson, pilot,
F/O Garth Borland Johnson, pilot,
F/Sgt James Edward Porret, flight engineer,
Sgt Francis William George Cosgrave, flight engineer,
P/O Charles Marland Kendall, navigator,
W/O Clare Kinton, wireless operator,
W/O Fredrick John Peters, wireless operator,
F/L William Fedoruk, wireless operator,
F/O John Hodgson Shand, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Charles Beattie, air gunner,
Sgt Milton Lynn Hill, air gunner.

While performing a local training flight, the airplane suffered an engine failure and was ditched in the Cromarty Firth off RAF Invergordon. A crew was killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
S/L T. A. Silcox, pilot,
Lac George. F. Bates. †

The crew was performing a local training sortie at RAF Evanton. The airplane overshot following an engine fire and crashed, bursting into flames. All four crew members escaped with minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed.

While circling in the vicinity of RAF Tain, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed 2 km northeast of the airfield. The crew escaped unhurt.