B-24H 41-29369

Crew / Passengers	Rank - If Applicable	Position e.g. Pilot	Status
William H. Bell	1st Lieutenant	Pilot	Killed #
Theodore E. Lundell	1st Lieutenant	Co-pilot	Killed #
Albert L. Harmonay	1st Lieutenant	Navigator	Killed *
Svend E. Hansen	Technical Sergeant	Engineer	Killed *
Robert R. Bisbing	Staff Sergeant	Radio Operator	Killed *
Edward Grzesiek	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed ~
George W. Baker	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed
Marvin Fleak	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed
Arthur A. Vogel	2nd Lieutenant	Passenger	Killed
Eldon E. Eads	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed >
Edward J. Ruszala	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed +
Wilbur L. Titus	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed
Newton D. Stanley	Flight Officer	Passenger	Killed Δ

41-29369 was one of many aircraft that following the end of the war in Europe was being used to take aircrews back to the United States. The aircraft were typically approaching the end of their useful lives but only had to make it across the Atlantic. The aircraft had taken off from RAF Valley on Anglesey bound for Meeks Field on Iceland. When the aircraft nearing the southern end of the Isle of Skye the port outer engine caught fire, it would appear that the fire could not be brought under control as when the aircraft crossed the coast the port wing outboard of the No.1 engine broke away. As the wing fell it struck the tail section causing it to separate from the aircraft before the plane dived into a hilltop and exploded, killing all those onboard. An attempt had been made to escape the aircraft as one of the escape hatches was found with the release mechanism having been used. The overall circumstances of this crash were like those of the loss of B-24 42-95095 near Gairloch a month earlier.

As with the earlier crash at Gairloch the crew of this aircraft were from a number of different units, 552nd A.F.B.U (#)., 561st A.F.B.U. (*), 1403rd A.F.B.U. (+), 436th T.C.G. (~), 439th T.C.G. (Δ) and A.A.C (>). The accident report lists all of the passengers as being assigned to the 70th Reinforcement Depot, though their original units are listed on their graves.

Above it where the port outer wing landed, on the shore at Tarskavaig, the large rock and the house appear in a photo in the accident report.

Not far above Tarskavaig is where the tail landed, this is shown by the above photo.

The above shot shows where the main bulk of the aircraft landed, there is still some wreckage at the site (visible to the left of centre).

Of those who died in the accident 7 were subsequently buried at the American Cemetery at Cambridge, below are photographs of their graves, with the exception of T/Sgt Svend Hansen.

Peak District Air Accident Research

B-24H Liberator 41-29369 of the USAAF (assigned to B.A.D. 2, Warton), crashed near Tarskavaig on the Isle of Skye, 23rd July 1945 whilst flying from RAF Valley to Meeks Field on Iceland.