Beinn Edra Fortress Memorial

Local remembrance and memorial support

B-17G serial 44-83325 crashed into Beinn Edra on the Isle of Skye on 3 March 1945 during a ferry flight from Meeks Field, Iceland to RAF Valley, Anglesey. The brand-new aircraft flew into thick cloud concealing the mountain, killing all nine crew.

Serial number 44-83325Date: 3 March 1945Ferry flight from Iceland to RAF ValleyBrand new aircraft off Long Beach assembly lineAll 9 crew killedImpact on precipitous eastern face at 611m

IWM records the Beinn Edra B-17 Flying Fortress crash memorial, marking the site where all nine USAAF personnel died.

IWM memorial reference 106068

Wikipedia article on the 1945 Beinn Edra air disaster documents the ferry route from Bangor, Maine via Iceland, with the aircraft encountering deteriorating weather over the Hebrides. Wreckage remains highly fragmented across the slopes below the summit cliffs.

Route: Bangor, Maine to Meeks Field, Iceland to RAF ValleyWeather deteriorated over HebridesWreckage scattered across slopes below summit

The Skye community marked the 75th anniversary of the crash in March 2020, remembering the nine young Americans who died on the mountain.

75th anniversary commemorated in March 2020Local Skye community active in remembrance

Highland HER record MHG30839 formally documents the aircraft crash site on Beinn Edra as a historic monument.

HER reference MHG30839Formally recorded as historic monument