Part of a sunken wartime flying boat that had become a danger to navigation has been removed
Part of a sunken wartime flying boat that had become a danger to navigation has been removed. The twin-engined Catalina has lain on the seabed near Oban since 1945, but its wing became a hazard after being snagged and pulled nearer to the surface by the nets of a fishing boat.
All nine crew members escaped with minor injuries when the flying boat crashed shortly after taking off from its anchorage in the Firth of Lorne on 12 April 1945. Catalinas, which often carried out patrols lasting up to 20 hours, were used extensively for anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort duties.