P-38J 42-67207 554 Fighter Squadron R.A.F.Gox hill , May 10th 1944 .Tintwhistle Knarr Peak district

Another site from the peak district this site no far from the 3 Hurricanes in my last post on Tintwhistle Knarr is the last resting place of remains of P-38J 42-67207 554 Fighter Squadron R.A.F.Gox hill , May 10th 1944 .

The plane piloted by F/o H.A.Jones USAF was to have taken part in a 4 ship gun camera and single engine handling ,navigation training flight but on taking off the pilot could not locate his flight he was directed to form up with another 3 plane fight that had taken off at the same time , heading west the planes encountered cloud over the rising ground of the Pennines on turning out of cloud 42-67207 was missing returning to Gox hill this was reported by the flight but nothing more was known until the pilot with the remains of his plane were found high on the hill of Tintwhistle Knarr , an eyewitness reported the plane was in difficulty and flying on one engine F/o Jones was a very experienced pilot on type with around 300 hrs at the time of his loss .

 At the site today there is a surprisingly large collection of remains where the plane ended up on the slope about 100 yrds lower is the initial impact point with a scatter of parts

Hurricanes PZ854, PZ765, PZ851 No 11 P.A.F.U, RAF Calveley 22 February 1945 Tintwistle Glossop

A fantastic trip into the Peaks to visit some sites near Tintwistle , Glossop the first is the crash site of Hurricanes PZ854, PZ765, PZ851 No 11 P.A.F.U, RAF Calveley 22 February 1945 .
The 3 aircraft flying a formation training flight led by Belgian Flt Sgt E.M.L.Marien had been warned to stay clear of low cloud but had entered the heavy haze over Manchester flying towards the unseen hills the leader only recognized the danger of Tintwistle Knarr at the last second sadly with no room all 3 fighters impacted the sloping rocky hill with the loss of all 3 pilots Marien and his fellow Belgian pilot on this flight Flt Sgt M.H.L.Orban had escaped German occupation heading to England to fight for their homeland Tragically they never got that chance .

At the site today there is little to show of this sad event a few scraps in one collection and a couple of bits wedged in the rocks more may lie in bracken below the impacts but i saw nothing in the growth .
Below the site near the woodland stands a marker cross to commemorate those lost on the hill in 3 crashes

Crew =
Flt Sgt J.V.Robinson
Flt Sgt E.M.L.Marien
Flt Sgt M.H.L Orban

Miles Martinet HN888 Cwm Bach 21st December 1945

A few from today's trip out to the borders with Gary Watts to look for 2 sites around Great Rhos Near New Radnor , Wales this is the site of the loss of Miles Martinet HN888 the crew of 2 were flying a route from their home base at Pembrey to Castle Bromwich on the 21st December 1945 for a Christmas leave but flying north east they ran into poor weather lost or flying a return to base the crew over the hills near Great Rhos flew into the steep valley of Cwm Bach hitting the steep slope sadly both crew were lost the site was not found until February 1946

At the site today High up on the slope is a small scar with a few small remains heading down there are a few bits scattered down the steep stream bed until you come across one of the most intact engines i have ever found at a site in the UK the last few parts way below the impact site is the engine ring and a lonely pipe
Crew =
F/O M.Davies [pilot]
F/LT G.H.Hammond

At the site today High up on the slope is a small scar with a few small remains heading down there are a few bits scattered down the steep stream bed until you come across one of the most intact engines i have ever found at a site in the UK the last few parts way below the impact site is the engine ring and a lonely pipe

Crew =
F/O M.Davies [pilot]
F/LT G.H.Hammond

B-24H 42-94841 ‘Sack Time’,9th October 1944 Twizzle head moss

A wet and windswept trip up to Twizzle head moss in the peak district to revisit the site of the loss of B-24H 42-94841 ‘Sack Time’, 857 Bombardment Sqn RAF Harrington 9th October 1944, the 8 crew and 2 ground crew passengers were on a test flight in the B-24 that had been recently repaired flying north in worsening weather the crew turned to head home sadly the plane was already too low and heading into the hills, on the bomber Dispatcher S/Sgt Curtis Anderson looked into the murk and saw grass flash by just before the bomber tore into the sloping ground of Twizzle head moss breaking up over a hundred yards and then bursting into flames of the 10 souls on board one one man Sgt Anderson Survived but he was badly injured staying in hospital until 1946 .

 At the site today in the burn area many small parts litter the moor near one of the undercarriage legs a Bakelite cap and electrical pieces being some of the best finds some 20 yards away lies the broken other leg looking at the moor i worked back towards Holme finding parts in the grass until i found the initial impact scar and a collection of parts lying undisturbed over 100 yards from the burn area on the way back Tricia found a control cable pulley complete with its housing

Crew =
Lt E D. Pitsenbarger [ Pilot ]
S/Sgt C Anderson [survived ]
F/O J M. Bliss
F/O F Cser [died of injuries 10.10.44]
T/Sgt P E. Farris
Lt J D. Nendel
S/Sgt F A. Villelli
T/Sgt J W. Zwinge
Passengers =
Cpl Charles T. Lowblad
Cpl C S. Watson

Hampden L4082 ,50 Squadron 20-MAR-1939 Boultham Baths, Lincoln

Secound Site Hampden L4082 ,50 Squadron Royal Air Force 20-MAR-1939 ,on a return flight from RAF Evanton Scotland to RAF Waddington the bomber got into difficulty's and dived into a boggy area near the now gone Boultham Baths, Lincoln with the sad loss of 4 crew One crew member Eng/Tec Bill Marshall had returned the day before by train due to a family issue and was waiting at the base .

At the site today nothing remembers the loss but given my best sources the bomber crashed near the water works in the trees between the new build and allotments some small bits were recovered in local construction and passed on by the BBMF to surviving family

Crew =
P/o R McAlister
Sgt W.Freestone
A/c N.Newsham
A/c F.Greensill

Lancaster III ED833 of 1654 HCU ,Highfield road Lincoln 11 June 1943

Last site from Lincoln this is the crash site of Lancaster III ED833 of 1654 HCU RAF Wigsley , Nottinghamshire the bomber took off on the 11 June 1943 to practice three engine flying , at around 4pm low over Lincoln the bomber was seen to be in trouble and may have been looking to put down on open ground but with starboard inner feathered the bomber stalled hitting a telegraph pole and diving into Houses in Highfield road Lincoln numbers 22 ,24, 25 and 27 were totally destroyed with the loss of 3 civilians on the ground 4 were injured but sadly 2 more would pass away later of injury's of the 7 crew on ED833 6 were lost one the tail gunner survived when his turret catapulted onto the footpath behind 18 Roydon Grove 2 local men Mr H,Chester and Mr E, Wing received gallantry awards for attempting to rescue those trapped in the houses .

On the quiet street today nothing at first glance remains to tell oft this tragic accident but looking at the houses it becomes obvious that the 4 have been rebuilt with different materials

Crew of ED833 =
Sgt W Featherstone
Sgt E Kirk Sgt A M Milne Sgt R W E Peacock
Sgt E R Broad
Sgt P R Farnell
were lost

Sgt C H Malkin was injured

Civilian =
Mrs L M Thacker
A Thacker aged 3 Miss M Marriott aged 12
Were lost on the day of the crash

Mr Whitby
L Whitby aged 4
Died later of injuries

H Bishop
Miss E Bishop
were injured