Background of a 'Flying Fortress' story

Chris referred to this message thread in his separate 17 April 2017 thread about his gran getting strafed by a Luftwaffe invader.

I just happen to have scanned pg 124 of the Oughton book yesterday! — only at low resolution and too dark (setup to optimize the use of Optical Character Recognition software on the text), so I have a not-very-good image of BZ717, the Liberator which crashed near Chris’ gran’s home.

If I get around to scanning this photo properly, I’ll post the result.

Thanks very much Matt, invaluable

Here is a little more from “The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service” by James D. Oughton:

BZ717

General Reconnaissance Mk V; original US serial number 42-40287; delivered to Dorval (Montreal) 3.4.43; flew Dorval to Goose Bay 12.4.43, Goose Bay to Reykjavik 13.4.43, Reykjavik to Prestwick 15.4.43; with Scottish Aviation Ltd (SAL), Prestwick 15.4.43, for coastal modifications; SAL to 59 Squadron 28.4.43, coded 1:X; repaired on site at Aldergrove after nosewheel collapse and sent to SAL 2.6.43 — wearing white coastal colour scheme and code ‘X’, but no unit code; to 311 Squadron as ‘L’ 6.3.44; recalled from patrol in bad weather 13.7.44, diverted and crashed at Bolt Head, killing crew of nine; struck off charge 14.7.44.

This is incorrect, as it did not crash at “Bolt Head”, which is RAF Bolt Head 7 KM SSW of Kingsbridge.

There is a photo of BZ717 in the Oughton book — the same one that Beermat’s link points to. Here is the caption to that photo:

BZ717, a GR.V of 59 Squadron, coded 1:X, featured a retractable rocket projectile sponson in the rear bomb-bay, a four-gun Boulton & Paul rear turret and no mid-upper turret.

I agree Trumper, perhaps that is something that could be pushed for

That’s fantastic, pity the serial’s hidden.
Well it is quite remarkable to think that that plane ended up near my Gran’s house!
I suppose any newspaper pictures of the plane are long lost…if there were any, they probably would’ve wanted to hush it up

It would’ve been nice if a more permanent memorial plaque could have been put up ,a printed certificate seems not a lot for all those lives.

http://www.rafb24.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2798:bz717&catid=20&Itemid=394

So it was an RAF Lib, crewed by Czechs, now I did not know that! Very interesting, I wonder if any pictures of the plane survive?

Quick guess.

http://www.kingsbridge-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=1270&headline=Liberator%20bomber%20crew%20remembered&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2014

Incidentally has anyone been able to find anything further?

Aha, yes, I think that’s one of the most unfortunate typos I’ve made on here XD

Marlborough? In Devon?

Ah, near Kingsbridge!

And for you to say that your grandmother ‘loved’ in Devon is giving away a little too much information…

Breakthrough, acccording to My Grandad, after consulting with her It was Liberator and it crashed by Salcombe Road, Malborough, In July ’44, I expect this will help clear the waters

Could she be thinking of the B-17 which made an emergency landing on one engine on the sports ground of a mental hospital near Dawlish after most of the crew bailed out over Dartmoor following a raid over L’Orient when she was badly shot up? However this was in January 1943 not 1944. An interesting tale because the aircraft, nicknamed The Werewolf, was subsequently repaired in situ and flown out. Full story here http://www.303rdbg.com/pp-4124606.html

There is a record: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=101065
I’m not sure this might be it? but she seems to recall a ‘Flying Fortress’ so I’m unsure

Could she be mistaken,after all most fighters were Spitfires so i guess a big 4 engined bomber if British would be associated with Lancaster and an USAAF one a B17 Flying Fortress.

There is a record: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=101065
I’m not sure this might be it? but she seems to recall a ‘Flying Fortress’ so I’m unsure

B-24 from Dunkeswell ?

Well I’m going on the assumption it is a B17 that may have been returning from a mission and was forced to come down, She said it was likely based at an airfield in Devon, I’ll try and see if I can get the exact location of the crash, but I can’t imagine many B 17s crashed in similar circumstances on roads in Devon

Hi Chris, Season’s Greetings..

Can you be more specific as to location? Without an aircraft type Devon in 1944 is a little broad