Invergordon railway station
Encyclopedia
Invergordon railway station is a railway station serving the town of Invergordon
on the Cromarty Firth
, in the Highland
council area of Scotland
. It is located on the Far North Line
. The station consists of two side platforms with two tracks forming a passing loop
on the predominantly single-track
line from Dingwall
to Thurso
and Wick
. The permanent station buildings are all on the southbound platform, the northbound platform having a simple shelter. None of the station buildings are in use at the present time. The station has recently in 2008-9 undergone a brightening-up programme run by the Invergordon "Off The Wall" group. Northbound leaving the station the track snakes under a one-way road bridge and runs alongside Park Primary school until turning into single track; it then runs through the Invergordon distillery and Inverbreakie housing estate. It then enters the woods. The station's usage has more than doubled since 2004/2005.
, Short Sunderland
:DD851 of the 4th Operational Training Unit departed Cromarty Firth, RAF Station Alness on an anti-submarine patrol of the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. During the initial climb a connecting rod on the starboard inner engine broke, the engine caught fire and fell off. The Sunderland, with a full load of fuel and depth charges then crashed into the railway line 2 miles northeast of Invergordon Railway Station where all 11 of the RCAF crew were killed. The crew consisted of:
SHAND, JOHN "Jack" HODGSON Flying Officer, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, J18733//R92682. From Lethbridge, Alberta, Age 21. Son of William Buxton Shand and Sarah Ann Shand, of Lethbridge, Alberta.
BEATTIE, DONALD CHARLES Flight Sergeant, Air Gunner, R257841. From North Bay, Ontario. Age 19. Son of William Herbert and Mary Ina Beattie, of North Bay, Ontario.
COSGRAVE, FRANCIS WILLIAM GEORGE Flight Sargent, Flight Engineer R94795. From Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Age 32. Son of Robert Frances and Margaret Cosgrave, of Whitewood, Saskatchewan.
FEDORUK, WILLIAM Flight Lieutenant, Wireless Operator Air Gunner J43270. From Brighouse, British Columbia. Age 28. Son of Jacob and Katarina Fedoruk, of Brighouse, British Columbia.
HILL, MILTON LYNN Sergeant, Air Gunner R197558. From Quesnel, British Columbia. Age 20. No parents named.
JOHNSON, GARTH BORLAND Flying Officer, Pilot J27083//R166333. From Birtle, Manitoba. Age 22. Son of Morgan and Myrtle Johnson; husband of June Marie Johnson, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
JOHNSON, JOHN ALFRED Flight Lieutenant, Pilot J6940. From Ottawa, Ontario. Age 26. Son of Edward Norman Johnson and of Margaret E. Johnson, of Ottawa, Ontario.
KENDALL, CHARLES MARLAND Flying Officer, Navigator/Bomb Aimer J38581. From Windsor, Ontario. Age 34. Son of Charles Freeman Kendall and Lilly Ann Wooldridge Kendall, of Windsor, Ontario. Husband of Doris Mabel Kendall, of Windsor, Ontario.
KINTON, CLARE Warrant Officer 1, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, From Calgary, Alberta. Age 23. Son of T.L.D. Kinton and E. Jerrine Kinton of Toronto, Ontario. Husband of Olga "Sue" Kinton of Calgary, Alberta.
PETERS, FREDERICK JOHN Warrant Officer 2, Wireless Operator Air Gunner R172885. From Winnipeg, Manitoba. Age 32. Son of Alexander John and Katherine Peters, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
PORRET, JAMES EDWARD Warrant Officer 1, Flight Engineer R50873. From Edmonton, Alberta. Son of Ollie and Katherine Porret, of Edmonton, Alberta.
They are buried in the Stonefall Air Force Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
Crew information is sourced from RCAF Memorial Book "They Shall Not Grow Old" which lists the names and basic details of the 18,000 Canadian airmen killed during WW2 and the Government of Canada Veterans Affairs Canada Virtual War Memorial website.
Invergordon
Invergordon is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:The town is well known for the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931. More recently it was also known for the repair of oil rigs which used to be lined up in the Cromarty Firth on which the town is situated...
on the Cromarty Firth
Cromarty Firth
The Cromarty Firth of Cromarty') is an arm of the North Sea in Scotland. It is the middle of the three sea lochs at the head of the Moray Firth: to the north lies the Dornoch Firth, and to the south the Beauly Firth....
, in the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
council area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located on the Far North Line
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
. The station consists of two side platforms with two tracks forming a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
on the predominantly single-track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
line from Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
to Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
and Wick
Wick, Highland
Wick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay...
. The permanent station buildings are all on the southbound platform, the northbound platform having a simple shelter. None of the station buildings are in use at the present time. The station has recently in 2008-9 undergone a brightening-up programme run by the Invergordon "Off The Wall" group. Northbound leaving the station the track snakes under a one-way road bridge and runs alongside Park Primary school until turning into single track; it then runs through the Invergordon distillery and Inverbreakie housing estate. It then enters the woods. The station's usage has more than doubled since 2004/2005.
Geography
The station is located at the south end of Invergordon high street and is easily accessible from all areas of Invergordon, the closest area being the densely populated area of South lodge.RAF Sunderland crash
On the 26 November 1944 a Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
:DD851 of the 4th Operational Training Unit departed Cromarty Firth, RAF Station Alness on an anti-submarine patrol of the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. During the initial climb a connecting rod on the starboard inner engine broke, the engine caught fire and fell off. The Sunderland, with a full load of fuel and depth charges then crashed into the railway line 2 miles northeast of Invergordon Railway Station where all 11 of the RCAF crew were killed. The crew consisted of:
SHAND, JOHN "Jack" HODGSON Flying Officer, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, J18733//R92682. From Lethbridge, Alberta, Age 21. Son of William Buxton Shand and Sarah Ann Shand, of Lethbridge, Alberta.
BEATTIE, DONALD CHARLES Flight Sergeant, Air Gunner, R257841. From North Bay, Ontario. Age 19. Son of William Herbert and Mary Ina Beattie, of North Bay, Ontario.
COSGRAVE, FRANCIS WILLIAM GEORGE Flight Sargent, Flight Engineer R94795. From Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Age 32. Son of Robert Frances and Margaret Cosgrave, of Whitewood, Saskatchewan.
FEDORUK, WILLIAM Flight Lieutenant, Wireless Operator Air Gunner J43270. From Brighouse, British Columbia. Age 28. Son of Jacob and Katarina Fedoruk, of Brighouse, British Columbia.
HILL, MILTON LYNN Sergeant, Air Gunner R197558. From Quesnel, British Columbia. Age 20. No parents named.
JOHNSON, GARTH BORLAND Flying Officer, Pilot J27083//R166333. From Birtle, Manitoba. Age 22. Son of Morgan and Myrtle Johnson; husband of June Marie Johnson, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
JOHNSON, JOHN ALFRED Flight Lieutenant, Pilot J6940. From Ottawa, Ontario. Age 26. Son of Edward Norman Johnson and of Margaret E. Johnson, of Ottawa, Ontario.
KENDALL, CHARLES MARLAND Flying Officer, Navigator/Bomb Aimer J38581. From Windsor, Ontario. Age 34. Son of Charles Freeman Kendall and Lilly Ann Wooldridge Kendall, of Windsor, Ontario. Husband of Doris Mabel Kendall, of Windsor, Ontario.
KINTON, CLARE Warrant Officer 1, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, From Calgary, Alberta. Age 23. Son of T.L.D. Kinton and E. Jerrine Kinton of Toronto, Ontario. Husband of Olga "Sue" Kinton of Calgary, Alberta.
PETERS, FREDERICK JOHN Warrant Officer 2, Wireless Operator Air Gunner R172885. From Winnipeg, Manitoba. Age 32. Son of Alexander John and Katherine Peters, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
PORRET, JAMES EDWARD Warrant Officer 1, Flight Engineer R50873. From Edmonton, Alberta. Son of Ollie and Katherine Porret, of Edmonton, Alberta.
They are buried in the Stonefall Air Force Cemetery, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
Crew information is sourced from RCAF Memorial Book "They Shall Not Grow Old" which lists the names and basic details of the 18,000 Canadian airmen killed during WW2 and the Government of Canada Veterans Affairs Canada Virtual War Memorial website.