On the 13th of June 1945 this aircraft had set out from the UK with the intention of flying home to the USA after the War, on the aircraft was a regular nine-airmen crew and a further six men who were technically passengers on the aircraft. The aircraft is believed to have carried the nose art of "Sleepy Gal Time" before being transferred to this unit but may have still had the nose art painted on it, it was given a major overhaul in April 1945 and was effectively a spare aircraft as the War had ended while it was taken off front line duties. The aircraft and its crew set out from Prestwick they were intending on flying a leg to Meeks Field in Iceland to re-fuel before continuing the journey. As they headed north the weather turned and with limited visibility the aircraft is reported to have clipped the top of Slioch mountain near Gairloch, at the north west side of Scotland. It was then thought that the pilot was attempting to either ditch the damaged aircraft in the sea off Gairloch or force land it when it flew into high ground at the Fairy Lochs, on Sidhean Mor. Sadly all fifteen personel on board were killed in the crash. The crash report did not make any firm conclusions as to the reasons for the crash but suggested an uncontrollable engine fire could have been the cause of the aircraft being so low initially. It is not known whether the engine fire came after the collision with Slioch or afterwards. Reports on the site being a War-grave are perhaps incorrect as all fifteen men have graves, many were returned home while some were buried in the large Americian cemetery near Cambridge in England.

Pilot - 1st Lt Jack B Ketchum USAAF (0-720263). Aged 22, of Topeka, Kansas, USA. Buried Topeka, Kansas, USA.

Co-pilot - 1st Lt Jack H Spencer USAAF (0-777858). Aged 22, of Ionia, Michigan, USA. Buried Ionia, Michigan, USA.

Nav - 2nd Lt Richard J Robak USAAF (0-2015143). Aged 20, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Buried Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

F Eng - T/Sgt Hollburn L Cheek USAAF (39333461). Aged 21. Buried Cambridge, England (E-0-78)

Radio Op - T/Sgt James C Stammer USAAF (17152057). Aged 23, of Casey, Iowa, USA. Buried Casey, Iowa, USA.

Air Gunner - S/Sgt Eldon J Gilles USAAF (36275004). Aged 24, of Plum City, Wisconsin, USA. Buried Cambridge (E-0-56)

Air Gunner - S/Sgt Albert L Natkin USAAF (38558214). Aged 20, of San Antonio, Texas, USA. Buried Cambridge, England.

Air Gunner - S/Sgt Raymond E Davis USAAF (35151144). Aged 26, of Oak Grove, Indiana, USA. Buried Washington, Indiana, USA.

Air Gunner - S/Sgt Herman Riefen USAAF (16028870). Aged 25, of Bronx, New York, USA. Buried Cambridge (D-2-26)

Passenger (314th T.C.Gp.) - S/Sgt John B Ellis Jnr USAAF (34038466). Aged 24. Buried Cambridge, England.

Passenger (314th T.C.Gp.) - S/Sgt James D Harvey USAAF (32433806). Aged 30. Buried at Calvary Cemetery, New York City, New York, USA.

Passenger (314th T.C.Gp.) - S/Sgt Alexander W Hastings USAAF (12153113). Aged 23. Buried at Cyprus Hills, St. Albans, Kings County, New York, USA.

Passenger (314th T.C.Gp.) - S/Sgt Emil Einarsen USAAF (32455476). Aged 48. Buried Cambridge, England (G-7-7).

Passenger (93rd B.G.) - S/Sgt John H Hallisey USAAF (12046305). Aged 27. Buried Framingham, Mass, USA. (he had completed a Tour 0f 50 operational flights).

Passenger (323rd B.G.) - S/Sgt Robert J Francis USAAF (31309090). Aged 20. Buried Cambridge, England (E-0-88).

I visited the crash site in August 2005, it is a well known crash site in the area and is probably the most frequently visited in the north-west of Scotland. A sizeable amount of the aircraft still remains at the site, with at least two engines visable in a lochan. A memorial was erected at the crash site in 1987 by Mr Ian Shuttleworth and replaced by him in 1991 to the memorial we see today.