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Sunday, 25 February 2018

Mustang AP171 ,June 11, 1943 Canadian Flying Officer S.P.R. Brouillette ,

 From Todays trip out with Ade Wilkes to the Brown Clee Hill, Shropshire and the site of Mustang AP171 which crashed on the southern side of the hill on June 11, 1943 with the loss of Canadian Flying Officer S.P.R. Brouillette .
The plane was flying in poor weather on a training flight over the Shropshire borders when it hit the lower slopes of the Brown clee hill breaking up over the steep slope
After a zigzag on the slope and checking Rabbit holes 1 .50 Bullet was located then near the fence a piece of coolant tube was found by 2 posts showing signs of impact damage then further up the slope a second nearly complete .50 round was found confirming the site





Sunday, 4 February 2018

P-47 42-75090 Moel Bentyrch, Welshpool

 The other site visit was to  P-47  Moel Bentyrch by Welshpool where P-47 42-75090 crashed on the 20th march 1943 the pilot 1st Lt N.Tucker was on a B-17 escort mission but on returning became lost over due to bad weather on letting down through cloud the plane struck the top of Moel Bentyrch and broke up falling down the east slopes the engine stopped at the wall, Lt Tucker was lost.
After a good search I found nothing on the slope or at the impact site but much maybe hidden on the scee and in the long grass


P-47 42-7960 Pencroellyn farm .Llanfair

One  of my site visits in the borders near Welshpool was  P-47 42-7960 which crashed in a field near Pencroellyn farm .Llanfair the plane  part of a pair flying from Atcham entered low cloud on breaking out the pilot 2nd Lt Arthur. C.Jenkins was faced with the farm house pulling sharply right he had no room left and hit the field the plane broke up over 3 fields with the loss of Lt Jenkins .
After getting a bit lost the very friendly farmer led me to the site,in the field is still a very large impact scar  and the gap the plane made in the hedge row it still very visible in 2001 a memorial was dedicated outside the community hall  some of Lt Jenkins family were present  my thanks to the Farmer who i never got his name but was a great help



Monday, 29 January 2018

Junkers Ju 88A-6, 3459 ,5K + DW , Gwaunceste Hill, Builth Wells


A very white trip out to the hills to find the crash site of Junkers Ju 88A-6, 3459 ,5K + DW which was shot down near Llan-haylo Farm, Gwaunceste Hill, Builth Wells on the night of the 25th April 1942 with the sad loss of 2 of the 4 crew after raiding Bath the bomber became lost due to electronic deception called ' Meaconing' and flew deeper into Wales where it was shot down by Beaufighter X7933 of 255 Squadron crewed by F/O Wyrill and Sgt Willins , the 2 remaining German crew were captured .
The site is not hard to find but as all the paths are either blocked or had the signs removed not trespassing is a pain GPS is a must the small memorial lies in a area of plantation and was well covered in snow but at the base many mangled bits have been collected
Oberleutnant Guenter Brixius - Killed.
Feldwebel Adolf Leibig – Killed
Oberfeldwebel Fritz Kreienbrock. Captured POW
Obergefreiter Paul Kochon. Captured POW.

Sunday, 10 December 2017

Well worth a visit

Hi just posting this link to http://www.wtdwhd.co.uk/default.htm deff head over the site has many interesting and informative posts mainly in Scotland 

Friday, 17 November 2017

 Home from a very cold and snowy Wales after a look for the site of P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75101,495th FTG which stuck the top of Mynydd Copog , near Mallwyd on the 4th May 1944 the Pilot 1st Lt J.W. Beauchamp was flying from Atcham and conducting authorized aerobatics but strayed over high ground getting into difficulty's over the hills the pilot managed to recover from a spin but had no more height sadly the plane broke up on impact with the loss of the young pilot .
The site seem to have lost a few bits since my last visit in the 90.s and has been heavily tampered with the remains were in the gully with the engine but someone has dragged them to the side hmmmm



Miles Masters W8773 and DL570,Afon Gwesyn,Abergwesyn

 Long cold and very wet trip into the valley of the Afon Gwesyn above ,Abergwesyn,Powys to find the crash site of Miles Masters W8773 and DL570 the planes flying from High Ercall, Shropshire on a cross country formation flight on October 4th, 1942 and found themselves over unbroken cloud thinking they were 25miles further on so out of the mountains the planes let down sadly they broke cloud just over the peaks W8773 impacted the ridge line and broke up with the loss of both crew DL570 as the right hand aircraft broke cloud over the river but with no height left the pilot force landed on the flat boggy ground by the river thankfully both crew though bent and bruised survived today the ridge has a collection of skinning and undercarriage remains scattered down the slope of DL570 nothing remains as the plane was recovered intact .
Lost W8773 =
Sgt T.Hyndman
P/O J.Chinnery [instructor]
survived DL570=
Sgt R.Camsburn
Sgt H.B.Hubbard [instructor]