War and Peace

Well, the weather today took a turn for the worse if anything. Wet, wild, horizontal rain. Only one place to go when it's like that - Oban's excellent little War and Peace Museum.

A bunch of underprivileged kids were trying on WW2 uniform caps, and having a great time. Didn't have the nerve to ask them if I could take a pic, so this is today's blip instead.

It's a radio controlled model of a Mark III Short Sunderland, based at Oban with No. 228 Squadron in 1942.

It has the markings of the aircraft taking the Duke of Kent from Invergordon to Iceland on 25th August 1942, flown by Fl. Lieut. Frank Goyen from Australia.
The Duke of Kent was Air Commodore of the department of Inspector General of the RAF, undertaking a tour of stations in Iceland.

They left Oban on 24th August, refuelled at Invergordon ready for take off the morning of the 25th, which took place in quite severe conditions and poor visibility. The aircraft crossed the Caithness coast south of the Berriedale Water, its course following the line of the river valley. At the head of the valley, still in poor visibility, it crashed into an outcrop known locally as The Eagles Rock. The explosion claimed all lives on board except one, Sgt Andrew Jack. He was blown clear of the wreckage, complete with the turret, and managed to stagger down the hillside, following streams. He lapsed frequently into unconsciousness, and in spite of search parties being out on the hills, he wasn't found for around 24 hours, badly burned, injured and disoriented. The Duke of Kent's remains were taken to Dunrobin castle, Golspie in Sutherland.

The pilot Frank Goyen and some other crew members are buried in Oban cemetery.

This model was built in 2003 by Bernard Jackson.

A rather sober reminder of the part Oban played in WW2, often much underestimated.