BRECHIN The Ancient City

IN REMEMBRANCE

R.A.F. Liberator Bomber Down on Hill of Wirren

October 17 1944

During World War II many suffered and lost their lives.  There were also many from countries overseas who served and never saw their homes again along with their comrades from Great Britain.   One tragic incident occurred on 17 October 1944 only seven miles north of Brechin, and, through this website, we have been contacted by the families of servicemen from this country and Canada who were involved.

On the evening of 17 October 1944 Liberator Bomber MK.V1.LL."S" was ready and waiting on the runway at Royal Air Force Base Leuchars in North East Scotland.  The crew had just finished what was known as "The Aircrew Meal", basically a big "fry up" for crews before going into action.  The meal finished and climbing aboard the plane were the following crew members -

The crew having boarded the plane and having gone through the various checks, settled into their positions, and at 2102 hours on October 17 the Liberator Bomber, fully armed, took off into the night sky.  Their mission was to fly north to Cape Wrath in Scotland and conduct an anti-U.Boat patrol over the seas north of the Cape, a distance of approximately 350 miles from Leuchars.

The sea area beyond was a hunting ground for German U.Boat packs waiting to prey on Allied shipping on the convoy routes from Britain and U.S.A., loaded with essential military supplies to the sea ports of Northern Russia, etc.  As soon as the Liberator took off it was in deep cloud and, unbeknown to the crew, the Gyro compass had not settled in the erect position and the Liberator instead of tracking northward along the east coast on a course set for Bell Rock.  The defective compass was 45 degrees out and the aircraft recrossed the coast and was heading for the Grampian Mountains.  The enemy was not 350 miles away but only 35 miles and was the Hill of Wirren, seven miles north of the City of Brechin, waiting, as it had been for millions of years.

Hill of Wirren, 7 miles north of Brechin.  Taken from bottom of White Catterthun (l) and Brown Catterthun (r).  Fields are in Lethnot Glen

This mountain had seen many different warriors on its top and peat and heather slopes.   The ancient Pictish people had been here in the years B.C. and had watched the approach of the Roman armies led by Agricola and fought with them and were defeated early in A.D.  Viking raiders landing at Lunan Bay near Montrose, beached their longships on the sands of the North Sea and proceeded inland to loot and burn Montrose and Brechin.  Norman and Saxon invaders had fought many battles within sight of Wirren as had the hated "Long Shanks", King Edward of England - "Hammer of the Scots.  The armies of the Hanoverians pursuing the Clans who supported "Bonnie Prince Charlie" - Charles Edward Stewart  - over the hills and valleys around here after the defeat of the Jacobite Clans at Culloden Moor near Inverness.in the year 1746.

The Hill of Wirren is one of the finest view points in the north east of Scotland.  On the night of 17 October 1944 it was itself to become a part of military history at 2125 hours.

The report of Sgt. Berryman, is stated as follows.

"Because it was night time and Wirren was snow covered and we were supposed to be over the sea, my question to the Skipper was "Hello Skipper, is that land or cloud ahead?".  This brought forward the following reply, "Hello Navigator, that shouldn't be it ...?".  There wasn't even time for a reply.  The Liberator hit the slopes of the mountain only about 15 metres from the top of the high ground and a short distance to the east of the summit.  The reference of the crash site is Landranger Map 44, 521733.

A large part of the floor of the fuselage still lies there on the heather covered, peat and grit soil.  One crewman's relatives also state that another crew member told them of another message via the intercom was "For **** sake up", meaning to pull the aircraft upwards using the control stick.  This ,of course, was all too late and Liberator Bomber "S" hit the mountainside with an almighty bang and immediately burst into flames.  The Rear Gunner Sgt. W. Jack Murray, known to his comrades as "Tank", tells in his wartime diary, of which I have a copy, that "he was flying one minute and walking on heather covered ground, the next".

The official Sortie or Flight Details state that the aircraft took off from Leuchars on Oct.17 at 2102 hours and crashed on Hill of Wirren, 5 1/2 Miles N/W of Edzell at approximately 2125 hours, Oct.17.   Sgt. Murray tells of the aircraft being ablaze and ammunition exploding all over the place.  Sgt. Murray, Can. 271503, helped the Pilot, Flt. Lt. Harold Ellis, out but could not get him off the ground.  He then pulled another two survivors from the stricken plane to safety.  After the blaze subsided "Tank" made a further search but could not find the other crew members who had perished.

Some years ago an article written by a Montrose man regarding the crash published a story which wrongly described the details of the crash but, now having the statements from members of the crew who survived, the official Flight Record, and the diary of Sgt. Murray, we are able to give the correct details of the tragic happenings on Hill of Wirren all those years ago.

I first visited the wrecked plane in July 1945 while camping for a week in Glen Lethnot with pals Will Christie, Les Robertson and George Binny.  At that time the main parts of the plane were still on the mountain and was a tragic sight, with wings broken off, sailplane and gun turret loose and other parts strewn over the heather and peat.  I have visited the site many times since 1945.  One question is always asked by friends and relatives regarding the site of the Liberator crash in 1945, that is, why has a simple memorial never been erected to commemorate the tragedy an the sacrifice of those brave men, all those years ago?  Two of the crew are buried in Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose, and their headstones are in the military part.  Perhaps it is not too late to commemorate their comrades.

F/Os J. R. Menzies and D. N. Edwards at rest in Sleepyhillock Cemetery

To return to the night of the tragedy, the noise of the crash had been heard and the glow of the burning plane seen by hill shepherd and farmer George Caithness Sr. of Craigendowie, Glen Lethnot and also by other shepherds and gamekeepers down in Glen Lethnot who immediately contacted Brechin National Fire Service, seven miles south of the site.  The men of the glen immediately set out from Lethnot and up the long steep slopes of Craig of Finnoch and of Craig Narb on the long trek from 140 metres in the glen to the 634 metres where the plane lay near the top of Wirren.  The evening was bitterly cold but those men of the glen were used to the variations of weather during their daily pursuits.  Brechin National Fire Service set off for the crash site via the Trinity Road and Edzell and one former Fireman, Lar Ferrier, told me in 1952 of how they could see the fire of the burning plane from the rising road at Unthank on the outskirts of Brechin.

From the slopes of Wirren Sgt. Jack "Tank" Murray, eventually noticed the lights of torches from miles down in the glen and knew help was on the way.  He comforted the injured crewmen as best he could, and waited.  Brechin National Fire Service attempted to pull a portable manual tender up the slopes from Newbigging Farm but gave this up due to the steepness of the ground and also for the reason that the fire had burned itself out.  Doctors had also been alerted in Edzell and Stracathro Hospital notified to expect casualties.

After a long hard climb the men of Glen Lethnot were the first to reach the scene of the crash and proceeded to help the injured.  The Fire Brigade arrived from Brechin and along with first-aiders tended to the injured who were lifted and secured on stretchers and carried down the slopes of Wirren to waiting ambulances.  The injured crew members were admitted to Ward 15, Stracathro Hospital.  Their admission numbers were 16652; 16653; 16654; and 16655; this being the number of patients admitted to the Military Hospital up to 0005hrs on 18 October 1944.  Incidentally, the first Military patient admitted was a Polish serviceman, admitted 01 October 1940.

The airmen suffered various injuries, the Rear Gunner having only a scratch and a back injury.  One of the surviving crew, Sgt. Gordon Berryman, suffered a multitude of injuries.  He was the Nose Gunner and had been up front when the Liberator hit the mountain.  Sgt. Berryman is quoted in the diaries of the late Sgt. W.J. "Tank" Murray as returning on a number of occasions to visit a wonderful family in Brechin who were very good to him.  They were Mr. and Mrs. Cooper of Brechin.  Sgt. Berryman states that "Mrs. Cooper was the donor for the blood transfusions I needed".

After skilled medical care at Stracathro Hospital the men were returned to fitness and health.  Sgt. Murray's diaries continue with his return to fitness and other missions up to the end of the war, and make interesting reading, and also tell of anxious times in dangerous circumstances, but also of happy times especially when off duty and visiting Dundee across the River Tay from Leuchars air Base.  He praises the Dundee people for their kindness and hospitality to those so far from home.  He tells of playing pool in Dundee billiard saloons and meeting pretty Dundee girls at the local dances and of having a meal in a Dundee restaurant and nearly "falling through the floor" when he and a comrade were presented with a bill for five shillings and sixpence.  He also mentions the Scots girls as being very pretty.  "Tank" seems to have been a really nice guy and one who could take the hard knocks in life and enjoy the good times.  A really good friend to have.

Various photos of "Tank" Murray showing his family in Canada in the 1940s.  The photo top-right shows "Tank" and a pal on local leave in Dundee in 1944.

The interest of the above story and the contacts with those involved has come about as a result of our contacts worldwide via the Internet.  We were pleased to welcome friends from Canada to Brechin a few weeks ago.  They were Wayne Neal and his Wife Rochelle.  Wayne is the nephew of the late Sgt.W.J. Murray.  Rochelle and Wayne were staying in Doniford Guest House in Brechin and were very pleased with the welcome, the service and the lovely accommodation there.

On the following day,our hike to the top of Wirren, a lovely, sunny day, the views from the hill were tremendous.  The valleys of Howe of the Mearns and Strathmore bordered by the North Sea with views of various towns including Montrose and Brechin were beautiful.  We could see Dundee and the area around Leuchars and South to the Lothian Hills.  West was the area around Stirling, and also the countryside around Kirriemuir, former home of Sir James Barrie of Peter Pan fame and many other stories and plays.  My favourite mountain, Lochnagar, stood proud and majestic in the Cairngorm Mountains, near Balmoral Castle, and Royal Deeside.  To the north was the mountain of Clochnaben and it's ninety foot high protruding rock which legend states was torn from the mountain by The Devil and covers his Wife.  Farther north was Bennachie and marvellous views of the areas around Banchory, Kincardine O'Neil, Feughside and Lower Deeside.  A mission which Wayne had dreamed of making for many years had been accomplished and a tribute paid to the men who had died and those who had suffered fifty-five years ago. The trip down the mountain gave us a view of around three hundred red deer,many partridges and pheasants and other wild life in this beautiful area of Angus.  Then it was home via the ancient Hill Forts of Brown and White Catterthuns and down past "The Pirner's Brig" and Edzell Castle and the lovely village of Edzell and home to the Ancient City of Brechin.

Eric Walker Sr. on the west shoulder of Hill of Wirren (2,240 ft) and Wayne & Rochelle Neal from Canada

Next day we visited Leuchars Air Base from where the Liberator MK.V1. L.L. "S" had flown all those years ago and we were made very welcome by the Royal Air Force personnel and shown around the Base.  On Wednesday we journeyed to Sleepyhillock and visited the graves of Flying Officers, J.R.Menzies, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force and D.N. Edwards, Navigator, Royal Air Force, both of whom had died in the crash.  The others who died were taken home for burial.

We would like to thank the following people for their kindness and help -

R.A.F Personnel Officer, Leuchars

F/Lt. Keith Pearson, our guide, Leuchars

The Senior Officer and Staff in the Control Tower and Maintenance Hangars, Leuchars

Members of the Office Staff at Stracathro Hospital, Brechin.

Also the various Gamekeepers, Shepherds, Farmers, and others whom we met on our journey.

All of those people helped to fulfil a dream held for many years.

Any family members and descendants of those who flew on that night of 17th. November, 1944, and wishes to have details or photos sent please contact me.  I shall be honoured to do so at no charge.

We had the pleasure of a visit to our home today by Mrs. Gladys Skelton, formerly Miss Gladys Cooper and daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cooper.  Mrs. Cooper was the lady who donated blood to Sgt. Berryman while he was recovering in Stracathro.  Gladys sends her kind regards to those who remember her and to Eunice Lemire in Fort Maccerta, Tol, Ozo, Canada.

"We will remember them"

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