Crew honoured at Scaraben crash sites
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An ex-military man trudged miles through rough ground to lay poppy wreaths in memory of two RAF crew who died on the Scaraben hills.
James More from Wick was honouring the dead of a World War II incident when a Whitley bomber, from a squadron based at Wick, crashed into Scaraben East in May 1941. The other crash occurred in peacetime when a Canberra jet flew into the side of Sron Gharbh, killing both crew in 1966.
The Whitley crew had taken off on an anti-U-boat patrol from Wick on April 30, 1941, and were returning from the flight in the early hours of the May 1 when their aircraft flew into the northern end of Scaraben East above Berriedale Water, between Helmsdale and Dunbeath.
A mine detonated on impact leaving a large crater that is still visible along with wreckage debris. All six crew died.
The English Electric Canberra jet crashed 25 years later in 1966 when on a training exercise and the two crewmen were killed instantly when their aircraft ploughed into the hillside of Sron Gharbh in very low cloud. There is a great deal of wreckage still visible over a large area of the hill.
"I felt laying the poppy wreaths was the decent thing to do for these lost aircrews on remembrance weekend in the absence of the promised memorial cairns," said James, in reference to his battle with the landowner to have tributes erected at each site.
"I set off from Braemore early Saturday morning to lay the wreaths. I went to Scaraben East first where the Whitley wreck site is situated.
"The ground was quite sodden and slippy after heavy rainfall. It took the best part of an hour and a half to reach that location. I followed fresh Argocat tracks up to Scaraben East where a radio mast was recently completed."
After laying his wreath at the Whitley site he walked west along the summit of Scaraben but had an accident on the way.
"I traversed down the bealach between Scaraben and Sron Garbh where I slipped on moss and slightly sprained my ankle – the Canberra wreckage is located on rising ground at the base of Sron Garbh."
"The weather was dry but the hardest part of the climb was getting back up the steep slope between Scaraben and Sron Garbh with a sore ankle, which was challenging to say the least. I arrived back in Braemore car park around 2.30pm."
James has been researching many of the crash sites in Caithness and hopes to see memorial cairns erected at some future date.
"I feel all service personnel should be honoured whether they died in action or training accidents as was the case of the Canberra crew," he added.
Model aircraft tribute for Wick airport
