Date:	Thursday 26 October 1944
Time:	morning
Type:	Fairey Firefly Mk 1
Owner/operator:	1770 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	DT977
MSN:	F6059
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Blaeloch Hill, Largs, East of Fairlie, North Ayrshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, Ayrshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Firefly Mk.1 DT977 "4A" of 1770 Squadron, FAA RN (Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy). Written off (destroyed) 26/10/1944 when crashed on the 1,300 feet Blaeloch Hill, Largs, East of Fairlie, North Ayrshire

During the morning of the 26th October 1944 the Sub Lts Fairclough and King were on a radio navigation training exercise from RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail) before embarking on HMS Indefatigable when their aircraft struck the eastern side of 1,300ft high Blaeloch Hill, which is to the east of Fairlie in North Ayrshire, a short way below the summit and completely disintegrated.

The aircraft was presumed to have been lost in the Firth of Clyde due to their exercise area being around Ailsa Craig and it was not until nearly three weeks after the crash that the remains of the aircraft and its two crew were discovered on Blaeloch Hill.

Crew of Firefly DT977:
Sub-Lieutenant James Henry Fairclough, RNVR (Pilot, aged 31) - killed on active service 26/10/1944, buried at St. Saviours Churchyard, Ringley, Lancashire
Sub-Lieutenant (A) Anthony John King, RN (Observer, aged 21) - killed on active service 26/10/1944, buried at St.Andrews Churchyard, Chesterton, Cambridgeshire

As can be seen from the YouTube footage below, the wreckage is fairly accessible, and large pieces of wreckage were still there on 8/10/2006

1. Aircraft Wrecks: The Walker's Guide : Historic Crash Sites on the Moors and Mountains of the British Isles By Nick Wotherspoon, Alan Clark, Mark Sheldon
2. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/fairey-firefly-dt977-blaeloch-hill/
3. http://www.wtdwhd.co.uk/Blaeloch.html
4. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6020932
5. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234981911-fairey-firefly-dt977-of-1772-nas-or-any-pictures-of-it-or-its-brethren/
6. https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst26719.html
7. http://neilshillblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/blaeloch-hill.html
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2699882/JAMES%20HENRY%20FAIRCLOUGH/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2651762/ANTHONY%20JOHN%20KING/

Wreckage of Fairey Firefly DT977, crashed 26/10/1944 Blaeloch Hill:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Sep-2020 18:12	Dr. John Smith	Added
01-Sep-2020 18:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Damage]
01-Sep-2020 18:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location]
01-Sep-2020 21:38	Angel Dick one	Updated [Operator, Operator]
07-Sep-2020 19:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
07-Sep-2020 19:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Sep-2020 19:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]