Avro Anson Mk.I DJ106 of No.19 Operational Training Unit crashed on Ben MacDui in the Cairngorm Mountains on the 21st August 1942

 

John Llewelyn Sergeant Pilot Killed
William Gilmour Pilot Officer RCAF Observer Killed
Geoffrey Fillingham Flight Sergeant Observer Killed
John Beaton Robertson Sergeant Wireless Operator / Air Gunner Killed
Kenneth Edmondson Carruthers Flight Sergeant Wireless Operator / Air Gunner Killed

 

The crew of DJ106 was on a day time cross country navigation flight from RAF Kinloss. It was while returning to base that the aircraft flew into the western side of Ben MacDui, the second highest mountain in the British Isles. The aircraft was last reported as being south west of Dunkeld by the Royal Observer Corps heading in a northerly direction at about 5,000 feet, the weather at the time was described as being cloudy, particularly over the mountains. It would appear that the aircraft was flying about 2.5 miles west of the direct track from its last reported position and Kinloss when it struck the western most ridge of the mountain at 4,000 feet and disintegrated northwards towards Allt a Choire Mhoir.

Sergeant John Llewelyn, pilot of Anson DJ106, crashed on Ben MacDui, Cairngorms
Above is John Llewelyn, pilot of DJ106, in 1940 at the beginning of his RAF service.
Image: Geraint Llewelyn via Mark Sheldon.
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Edmondson Carruthers, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner onboard Anson DJ106, crashed on Ben MacDui, Cairngorms
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Carruthrers while on leave close to his home in the Lake District.
Image: Mrs Newby via Mark Sheldon.
Memorial cairn at the crash site of Avro Anson DJ106 on Ben MacDui, Cairngorm Mountains
Close to where DJ106 impacted Ben MacDui is this small cairn with a memorial plaque in memory of the crew, this shows the view west across Lairig Ghru toward Braeriach.
Looking over the memorial are the scenes of two other aircraft crashes on Braeriach, Airspeed Oxford HM724 and Bristol Blenheim Z7356. The four crew of HM724 survived while six crew and passengers of Z7356 were killed
Close up of the memorial plaque at the crash site of Avro Anson DJ106 on Ben MacDui, Cairngorm Mountains
A close up of the memorial plaque, the 70th anniversary of the crash was marked by two news items on the BBC Scotland site (Item 1) (Video).
Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine from Avro Anson DJ106 on Ben MacDui
Lying on the slope where it came to rest after the crash is one of the aircraft’s two Cheetah engines, the other is lying in Allt a Choire Mhoir, though it was covered by snow when these photos were taken.
Crash site of Avro Anson Mk.I DJ106 on Ben MacDui, Cairngorm Mountains
An overview of the main collection of wreckage at the crash site of DJ106.
Wreckage in Allt a Choire Mhoir at the crash site of Avro Anson Mk.I DJ106 on Ben MacDui, Cairngorm Mountains
Wreckage in Allt a Choire Mhoir, the snow in the background conceals further wreckage, including one of the engines.
Aerial photograph of the crash site of Avro Anson Mk.I DJ106 on Ben MacDui shortly after the crash
This photograph was taken a few weeks after the crash by the crew of another RAF aircraft, the bulk of the wreckage is close to where it impacted with Choire Mhoir to the left hand edge of the image.