Whitley Mk.V P4996 of No.78 Squadron RAF, crashed in Glen Carron on the 27th February 1941
Gerald Thomas Toland | Wing Commander | Pilot | Killed |
Donald Henry Gates | Pilot Officer | Observer | Killed |
George Alexander Forsyth | Sergeant | Pilot | Killed |
George Russel Armstrong | Sergeant | Wireless Operator / Air gunner | Killed |
Norman Leslie Lane | Sergeant | Wireless Operator / Air Gunner | Killed |
The crew had participated in a raid against the German city of Köln, having taken off from their home station of Dishforth in North Yorkshire. While returning from the raid they became lost and strayed a long way to the north of their intended route. At around the time the aircraft crashed a flare was seen, it was presumed that this was dropped from the aircraft. Shortly afterwards while flying at between 2,500 and 3,000 feet the aircraft struck Sgurr nan Ceannaichean scattering wreckage over a large area of the northern western face of the mountain.
The following morning local Police officers reached the site and confirmed that it was a British aircraft which had crashed and all of the crew killed. They then notified RAF Evanton near Dingwall who carried out the recovery of the five crew. Clearing of the wreckage was assigned to No.63 Maintenance Unit at Carluke in Lanarkshire.

This photo was taken at the top of the wreckage trail, with the bottom being just off the right hand edge of the picture.

The crew were buried in various locations in England, below are some of their graves.

