Part of Second World War aircraft lost for 80 years in Angus glen to go on display
Part of a plane which crashed in the Angus Glens in 1944, killing eight airmen, is to go on display after being discovered exactly 80 years after the crash.
Scottish Woodlands regional manager Neil White came across the piece of smooth metal when checking a site at Tulchan of Glenisla ahead of carrying out peatland restoration works.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHaving been a reservist in the Parachute Regiment, which involved a fair bit of time around planes, he knew immediately the find was part of some sort of aircraft.


“I thought it was a rock at first but then saw it was shiny and smooth,” he said.
“When I picked it up I knew straight away it was part of an aircraft.”
Knowing that aircraft crash sites have certain protections around them and can be classed as war graves, Mr White reported the discovery to the local council, who referred him to the Ministry of Defence.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFurther inquiries revealed the aeroplane part was from a Handley Page Halifax LL414, which took off from RAF Sandtoft in Lincolnshire on May 31, 1944 for a training exercise - but never returned.


Eight airmen, six of whom were Canadian and two English, were in the plane when it crashed in Angus. There were no survivors, and the six Canadians were buried in a Commonwealth War Graves site at Sleepyhillock Cemetery, near Montrose.
Mr White handed the part over last week to Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre which is based on the site of the UK’s oldest operational military airfield, RAF Montrose, first used in 1913.
During his investigations, Mr White discovered that the place had a very close link to the aircraft.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad

Sian Brewis, display coordinator at the heritage centre, who received the part from Mr White along with chairman of the centre, Stuart Archibald, said: “The mountain rescue team from RAF Montrose recovered the bodies of all the men from the 1944 plane crash and brought them back to the air station.
“The military funerals of the six Canadians would have been organised and held by the air station. Therefore, the museum has a very relevant link to what was found and was very pleased to accept the part.
“We thank Neil White and Scottish Woodlands for the care and attention with which they have dealt with this find. We will set up a special display using the part to highlight this significant and tragic event in the history of RAF Montrose.”
Mr White said since the discovery last September, further excavations were carried out but no other aircraft parts were found nearby.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“What I learned is that often the debris from a crash can be scattered over a large area because sometimes the planes would have broken up in the air,” he said.
“But another thing I learned is that one of the jobs of the mountain rescue team was to scatter the wreckage so that it couldn’t be used for propaganda purposes from the Germans flying over with their spy planes.”
The piece of aircraft is due to go on display at the heritage centre in the coming months.
Mr White added: “I’m delighted that the wreckage will be well looked-after and treated with appropriate respect to honour those who died in the crash - and allow future generations to understand more about this tragic story, and remember those who died.”
While at the heritage centre, Mr White wrote a message of remembrance on a poppy and pinned it to their memorial wall: “Remembering the Crew of LL414. We will remember.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.