On 17 January 1941, a German Heinkel He 111 bomber, modified as a meteorological aircraft, crashed on the island; wreckage remains on the crash-site. The aircraft had been flying on a routine weather reconnaissance flight from its base at Oldenburg in Germany. It was intercepted by RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters from 3 Squadron, based at RAF Sumburgh; both of the aircraft's engines were damaged and several of the five crew were wounded. The pilot managed to make a crash-landing on Fair Isle to avoid ditching his crippled aircraft in the sea. Two crew died and three survived. The dead crew were buried in the island's churchyard; the survivors were detained by the islanders and remained for several days until weather conditions allowed them to be taken off the island by means of the Lerwick Lifeboat. Before the Lerwick boat reached the island, two separate boats from Orkney ran aground whilst making their way to collect the prisoners of war.
On 17 January 1941 a German Heinkel He 111 bomber modified as a meteorological aircraft crashed on the island; wreckage remains on the crash-site The aircraft had been flying on a routine weather reconnaissance flight from its base at Oldenburg in Germany It was intercepted by RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters from 3 Squadron based at RAF Sumburgh; both of the aircraft's engines were damaged and several of the five crew were wounded The pilot managed to make a crash-landing on Fair Isle to avoid ditching his crippled aircraft in the sea Two crew died and three survived The dead crew were buried in the island's churchyard; the survivors were detained by the islanders and remained for several days until weather conditions allowed them to be taken off the island by means of the Lerwick Lifeboat Before the Lerwick boat reached the island two separate boats from Orkney ran aground whilst making their way to collect the prisoners of war