Miles Master Mk.I N7761, being ferried by No.3 Ferry Pilot Pool, ATA, crashed on Broad Law on the 4th August 1940

 

Herbert Roy Fields First Officer, ATA Pilot Killed

 

The aircraft was being transferred from RAF Montrose to Reading, the initial part of its route took the aircraft to Turnhouse on the edge of Edinburgh. At 09:40 on the 4th August 1940 First Officer Fields took off from Turnhouse for Brough near Hull. Its failure to arrive at Brough was not noticed until the following day when an enquiry was made with Turnhouse as to whether the aircraft had left.

The remains of the aircraft, and the body of First Officer Fields were later found on the western slopes of Broad Law near Tweedsmuir. It had flown well to the west of the direct track between its point of departure and destination but it is not known which route the aircraft should have been following on the day of the crash.

Wreckage, engine firewall and bearers, at the crash site of Miles Master Mk.I N7761 on Broad Law, Scottish Borders
Close to where the aircraft crashed on the western side of Broad Law is the engine firewall and bearers for the engine. These were still in relatively good condition when the site was visited.
Wreckage, engine firewall and bearers, at the crash site of Miles Master Mk.I N7761 on Broad Law, Scottish Borders
A second photograph of the firewall and engine bearers near to the crash site.
Crash site of Miles Master Mk.I N7761 on Broad Law, Scottish Borders
Not far from the engine bearer and firewall is a scar caused by the crash and subsequent disposal of the wreckage by burning it. This scar contains smaller pieces of wreckage from the aircraft, there was also a furness rake which had clearly been left by the unit sent to dispose of the wreckage.
Wreckage at the crash site of Miles Master Mk.I N7761 on Broad Law, Scottish Borders
This is one of the larger pieces of wreckage in the scar where the aircraft crashed.
Wreckage near the crash site of Miles Master Mk.I N7761 on Broad Law, Scottish Borders
Some distance away, on the opposite side of the hill, is this cowling panel from N7761, an identical panel was found at another Master crash site in the Pennines.