Wreckage in Bristol Channel?

also gladiator piloted by K.C.Vickery,

Actually Sgt KENNETH PRIMROSE VICKERY of 263 Sqn 07/04/1940 in Gloster Gladiator N5623
Which lost Control lost in low cloud during formation flight;

The aircraft dived into the sea off Portishead, Somerset.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1809327

engine

no the spit engine was found a year later miles down the coast,they recovered it but it fell apart so i was told, a years worth of salt water open to the elements i suppose

Definitely a paddle-type de-H or Ham Stan as fitted to B17, B24, Ventura and Mossie (with minor differences). I’d put a bet on Mossie meself.
Get a shovel and check out the type of engine it’s attached to – the first three a/c types had radials the Mossie a Merlin so it would be fairly conclusive – if you can run fast enough to beat the tide!

Flown over this one and pritty sure its the mosquito that crashed post war,think the poor crew are still missing its its the same aircraft.

Suposidly a whitley in the mud somewhere on the severn banks including a mk1 spitfire and tiffy near the river bridge, is that merlin still floating on 45 gallon barrels down the severn off a spitfire a recovery team dug or has it been washed up, think it broke off while towing it away about 20 years ago

1G+GM

No He111 H-3 of KG27, based at Dinard, was on route to Parnells aircraft factory at yate(they found remains of maps in cockpit)
and was shot down by 236 Bty Portbury, then hit a barrage ballon on the way down, 4 KIA 1 POW, (Lt Bernt Rusche )
crashed on portbury mud flats,

Portishead prop blade

Definitely a paddle-type de-H or Ham Stan as fitted to B17, B24, Ventura and Mossie (with minor differences). I’d put a bet on Mossie meself.
Get a shovel and check out the type of engine it’s attached to – the first three a/c types had radials the Mossie a Merlin so it would be fairly conclusive – if you can run fast enough to beat the tide!

He111 1G+GM, only about 2000 yards from my house

Is this the aircraft that dropped a stick of bombs across Clevedon killing a soldier in front of the cinema. Legend has it, it’s destruction was metered out by the AA battery at Valley Rd, Portishead

and i live in Portishead

It won’t be held against you, and of course you could always move. I use to live in Clevedon 🙂

Propellors in the Mud,

The wreck site in the photo was taken between Portishead and south wales,to the north of portishead, the wreck is actually a DH Mosquito, lost after the war Pilot was reported missing never found ,

I have the details on this one, and many others, (i need a rib boat:D ) theres loads in the channel,
one of the 2 dorniers in woodspring bay sometimes pops up, the also lost Lancaster SW278 between weston and clevedon coast, also gladiator piloted by K.C.Vickery, He111 1G+GM, only about 2000 yards from my house,
a beufort,spitfires, various jets, and ww2 types, Ive got all the info buried in my cuboard,How do i know this, well been studying it for 20 years, and i live in Portishead, problem is the tide out here is the 2nd fastest in the world, very dangerous stuff to be playing in, although if i had a offer of any boats doing a bit of mudskipping for wrecks , Count me in, i am sure i can be of help 😀
Cheers
Chris C
ps,
as for the blnhiem , it came down near lydney harbour, they tried to pull it out ,but the tail broke off, i have seen a photo of it in the late 70s when it re surfaced, but days later was covered by the shifting sands ,its still there,
as is the complete belly flop Mustang, (RAF) that crashed, pilot fractured his skull on landing, they rowed out to get him but he was allready dead, recovered his body,shut the canopy , come back to recover the aircraft and it had vanished, probably with the tide , if only i could get my hands on a boat

Any records of Naval ditchings/crashes in that area? the prop shape looks similar to the one used by Hellcats and later Corsairs

This wreck was reported to be under investigation in a FlyPast circa 1982 .

I don’t think this is the same aircraft, but there have been several sightings of a Blenheim (or sometimes reported as a Beaufighter) in the Severn, but this is higher up than Portishead. Closest accident I could find was a Mk.I Blenheim L6597, which crashed near Sharpness on 15/3/1940. The wreck has been slowly moving downstream since then, with occasional sightings. It was quoted as being ‘in remarkably good condition’ in the 1973 book “Bristol – An Aircraft Album”.

Andy

B17 I would guess, it does look right deffo not B24/25/26

He took off in the helicopter & left the photographer there? LOL

A chap from Astra Helicopters in Bristol approached me a couple of years ago about this to see if I was interested in excavating it, but being up here in Carlisle made it a logistical impossibility as I was already too busy!
I know it is in the Bristol channel, but I can`t remember where. I thought it was a Ham Standard / DH type blade.
The guys name is Mike Pheby and he can be contacted via the Astra Helicopters home page.

Peter

Not strictly related, but there is ‘something’ that looks like aircraft wreckage off Weston-Super-Mare, only becomes visible a few times a year when the tide is at it’s lowest. just above the low water mark. Could be a boat or ship, but anyone know if anything known there?

I believe a He111 was shot down into the Channel off of Portishead, possibly during 1941.

I don’t have the details to hand here (I’m at work), but I do recall parts being retrieved from the wreck a couple of years ago. If no one else comes up with the details before I get home, I’ll have a look to see what I can find.

Edited to say that a DO17 was shot down off of Portishead by an 87 Sqn Hurricane on the night of 26 July 1940.See here

Edited again to say that a 263 Sqn Gladiator was lost 07 April 1940 after loosing control in low cloud during formation flight; the aircraft dived into the sea off Portishead, Somerset.