Liberator G.R. Mk.V FL949 coded PP-Y of 311 (Czech) Squadron RAF, crashed on the Cuilags, Island of Hoy, Orkney on the 1st January 1945.
Photo: Mark Sheldon
|
Crew / Passengers |
Rank - If Applicable |
Position e.g. Pilot |
Status |
|
Oldrich Bures |
Warrant Officer |
Pilot |
Killed |
| Milos Bodlak |
Flight Sergeant |
Co-pilot |
Killed |
|
Otto Mandler |
Flight Sergeant |
Navigator |
Killed |
|
Zdenek Launer |
Flight Sergeant |
Flight Engineer |
Killed |
|
Ivo Karel Englander |
Flight Sergeant |
Wireless Operator / Air gunner |
Killed |
|
Martin Dorniak |
Sergeant |
Wireless
Operator / Air gunner |
Killed |
|
Antoni Bednar |
Flight Sergeant |
Wireless
Operator / Air gunner |
Killed |
|
Josef Zapelal |
Flight Sergeant |
Wireless
Operator / Air gunner |
Killed |
The aircraft was returning to Wick from an uneventful anti-submarine patrol in near arctic conditions, with low cloud, high winds and heavy snow, and clipped to hill about 100ft from the summit and was completely destroyed and all of the Czech crew were killed.
Much of the wreckage was eventually dragged to the bottom of the hill by the recovery crew from No.56 Maintenance Unit who spent 5 weeks on the Island. Their early work during the month of January had to be abandoned due to the ground being frozen and during February and March had to stop their work due to frequent snow and gales.
The aircraft had been built by Douglas at their Tulsa, Oklahoma, plant under contract as a B-24D-DT with the US Army serial number of 41-11755. Above is a photograph of one of the Douglas test pilots in the aircraft at Tulsa. Thanks to Kevin Gray of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum for providing the photograph of the aircraft.
Myself stood with the first piece that we found off the aircraft. This section of skinning from one of the wings lies on the lower slopes of the mountain.
A short way up from the previous part is one of the Pratt & Whitney 18 cylinder Twin Wasp engines from the aircraft.
