1944 Mull of Galloway Douglas C-47 crash

Aviation incident in Scotland May 2025 1944 Mull of Galloway Douglas C-47 crash 27 July 1944 Controlled flight into terrain due to poor visibility Mull of Galloway, Wigtownshire, Scotland Douglas C-47A Skytrain Dakota United States Army Air Forces 42-93038 RAF Merryfield, Somerset Filton, England Prestwick, Scotland Keflavík, Iceland Godthåb, Greenland Gander, Canada Boston, Massachusetts New York City, New York 22 17 5 22 0 0 The 1944 Mull of Galloway Douglas C-47 crash occurred on 27 July 1944, when a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (military version of the DC-3), serial number 42-93038, crashed into cliffs at the Mull of Galloway in Wigtownshire, Scotland. All 22 people on board were killed. Aircraft The Douglas DC-3 was developed in the 1930s as a result of airline interest in a larger, more capable airliner. Modified from the DC-2, the DC-3 first flew on 17 December 1935.July 2025 It was later adapted for military use as the C-47 Skytrain, with modifications including a cargo door, reinforced flooring, hoist attachment, and glider-towing capabilities. Over 10,000 C-47s were produced during World War II.July 2025 Accident On 27 July 1944, C-47A 42-93038 departed Filton near Bristol, England, transporting 17 wounded American servicemen from the Normandy landings and 5 crew members. The aircraft was en route to Prestwick, Scotland, as part of a multi-leg journey to the United States, which included stops in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and Boston.July 2025 Flying in poor visibility, the C-47 was one of two aircraft traveling together. The lead aircraft, 42-93038, maintained low altitude so that the trailing plane could stay in visual contact. As it neared the Scottish mainland, the aircraft flew toward the Mull of Galloway, a headland with cliffs rising over 400 feet (120 m). The pilots, unaware of their proximity to the terrain due to fog and low visibility, attempted to gain altitude too late.Gero David Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908 Patrick Stephens Limited 1999 The plane struck the cliffs just below the crest, about six feet short of clearing the top, and crashed, killing everyone on board.Mull of Galloway Air Crash Memorial https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=1827&MemID=2398 U.S. War Memorials 24 May 2025 Victims While initial report stated 24 people aboard,Van nabij en verre https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011129446:mpeg21:a0033 31 July 1944 24 May 2025 Het Nationale Dagblad Delpher there were 22 people aboard the aircraft consisting of 17 wounded servicemen and 5 crew members. Memorials A memorial plaque was installed at the crash site and unveiled on 27 July 1999, marking the 55th anniversary of the tragedy. The metal plaque is mounted on a rockface, approximately 7 feet off the ground, and surrounded by fragments of the wreckage, some of which are embedded into the rock. A related memorial also exists at the Portpatrick Lifeboat Station. See also List of accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3 References Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1944 Category:1944 in Scotland Category:History of Dumfries and Galloway Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Scotland Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Douglas C-47 Skytrain Category:July 1944 in the United Kingdom Category:Aviation in World War II Category:1944 disasters in the United Kingdom