Aircraft prang proximity

forgot to mention the UFO that crashed in the Berwyn mountains in the 1970,s. not that anyones found a bit from it

BEAT THAT ONE LOL

I’ve still got the improbability drive in my garage from that one!

I live near Podington (SantaPod) airfield apart from the crashes and incidents on the base within a five mile radius of here the following came down:
Blenheim IV,Mosquito B.IV,Fairey Battle,B-17G.

Had lots of gliders crash with in a mile of here, plus A Tger Moth in 1936 which my dad saw and Slingsby Motor Tutor in 1964 which I saw. But all I can find now is Roman stuff. They the Roman’s must have come to Totternhoe for the glidiing !:diablo:

Dave

So Spitfireman, do you know the unit that the Lancaster in your original post belonged to. It appears to wear “H-H”.

It seems like at least two Lancaster were lost under similar circumstances in similar places (if the info on the net is to be believed). I wonder which one is depicted in your picture.

Anyone got any thoughts?

QP

Wrekin crashes,

Spitfire P7746,all that was left at the crash site was the cockit rear view mirror,plus a few very small pieces of alloy,some old rope,presumably used during the recovery,and an old wartime newspaper,still readable,before it disentigrated,a Beaufighter was also supposed to have hit the wrekin,a P47,in spout lane,a P47 at overly hill,this was dug just before the new road (A5/M54 link)went through,a P47C-5RE,416585,(mid air collision with Master,)rudder found just below plough depth,followed wreckage down to 16 feet to reach engine,an Oxford and I believe the last plane to hit the Wrekin was a light plane a few years ago which crashed into the rock face near the top during bad weather conditions on Ironbridge side of the Wrekin,not verified is the report by a local that a Walrus made a forced landing in the fields near the shooting range but was repaired and flown out,there are I believe some more sites but memory fades with age,
BEIHAN62

forgot to mention the UFO that crashed in the Berwyn mountains in the 1970,s. not that anyones found a bit from it

BEAT THAT ONE LOL

Yes, Malvern Avenue. I’m sure you know a lot more about it than I do!!

This was AD591 which crashed on 19th Aug 1942. Strangely 306 Squadron lost another Spitfire very close to this spot exactly 1 year earlier when P8526 crashed in Eastcote. The pilots of both crashes survived but the first pilot was killed less than a month later only a few miles away in a mid air collision.

If anyone knows any more I’d be glad to hear it.

Peter

Voy-Tech alerted me to this crash a few years ago.

I moved as tot to the other side of Eastcote Lane and one of my earliest memories is playing with the Polish Airmen who were billetted in the houses on either side of our residence.

When I reached the minimum age, in the 1950’s, I signed up for a paper round that included deliveries in Malvern Avenue.

Mark

Local crash sites

So, Andy and xtangomike, have you got around to digging them all up yet?

Anon.

Living 1/2 mile south of Chichester I have Tangmere & Westhampnett within a 3 mile radius providing prangs more than you can shake a stick at.

There used to be an excellent website listing all the local incidents but it appears to have disappeared. “www.fshurricane.net” or something similar.

Xtangomike….but ours go right back to 1066. Or when Pontious was pilot. (Groan!)

Here’s another one….!!

It hadn’t crashed in this pic. But I’m sure it probably did!

Calling it the Hastings Arrow might not have been a good omen.

Spitfire. Malvern Avenue? 🙂

Mark

Yes, Malvern Avenue. I’m sure you know a lot more about it than I do!!

This was AD591 which crashed on 19th Aug 1942. Strangely 306 Squadron lost another Spitfire very close to this spot exactly 1 year earlier when P8526 crashed in Eastcote. The pilots of both crashes survived but the first pilot was killed less than a month later only a few miles away in a mid air collision.

If anyone knows any more I’d be glad to hear it.

Peter

Baz,

You’d have thought somebody would have cleared it away by now.

Mark

Its in me shed……..

Baz

Does anyone have info on aircraft that managed to hit the Wrekin during the war years?
regards, Terry

Mention of The Wrekin, rang a bell from the days when I used to research 13 (County of Kent) Sqn RAF, so I dug out the following from an old back-up disc.

On the 7th December 1941, a sudden snowstorm appeared whilst 131 squadron was airborne. Sgt Horace Albert Metcalfe RAAF (402962) bailed out from his Spitfire (P7746 NX-K), after nearly hitting a hill, but he was too low for his parachute to work.

Horace, aged 24, is buried at Atcham (St Eata) Churchyard, Shropshire. Row N, grave 7.

Can’t remember where the following came from,

‘Horrie joined 131 squadron on the 12th November 1941 and was killed on the 7th December 1941. During this time, the squadron was based at RAF Atcham, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire; and flew the Spitfire Mk II. At the time, the squadron was non-operational, due to half of the pilots being posted away to form another squadron. On the day that he arrived, eight other pilots, six New Zealanders and two Australians, also joined the squadron. All, like Horrie, came from No 61 Operational Training Unit. During his time with them, the squadron was busy working back up to operational status, and bringing the new pilots up to standard. The sorties flown by the squadron were mainly training ones.

On the 7th December, Horrie took off in Spitfire II P7746. The purpose of his flight was ‘cine gun and aerobatics’. Whilst he was airborne, a sudden snowstorm hit the area. It seems that he was unable to land at Atcham, due to the snow, and asked for a course to another airfield. Unfortunately, he failed to climb to a higher, and safer altitude, whilst doing so. Probably he was distracted by the situation that he had found himself in, but the consequences were fatal. Four miles from Atcham is The Wrekin (pronounced reekin), a large hill, the summit of which is 1,334 feet above sea level. Atcham itself is 200 feet above sea level. With visibility much reduced by the snow, it seems that Horrie didn’t see The Wrekin until he was almost upon it. He appears to have pulled the nose of the Spitfire up sharply, in order to try and avoid hitting the hill. In doing so he must have stalled the Spitfire, in other words reduced the speed too much, so it wasn’t going fast enough to remain airborne. He bailed out at about 150 feet, but there wasn’t enough time to use the parachute. The funeral took place on the 11th December, and he was buried at Atcham (St Eata) Churchyard, row N, grave No 7. Two other members of the squadron, a Canadian and a New Zealander, are also buried in the churchyard. These were also killed in flying accidents.

Horrie’s Spitfire crashed at Rushton Cottage, on The Wrekin. No less than six other RAF aircraft crashed as a result of this snowstorm. At the time of his death, Horrie had 55 flying hours on Spitfires and 144 flying hours in all. All the hours on Spitfires were flown in the six months prior to his death.’

P7746 (CITY OF BRADFORD I*). 403 sqn 25/8/41. 43 Grp DA 7/9/41. 131 sqn 2/10/41. Cat E FA -[?]/12/41. SOC 30/12/41. (AM 78). * card only has ‘Bradford I’ written on it.

131 sqn, ex 403 sqn, 2/10/41. (131 sqn ORB).

131 sqn, ex Debden, 2/10/41. (1 ADF ORB)

Cat W FA, 131 sqn 7/12/41. Unable to land on airfield during snow storm, owing to bad visibility. Pilot failed to gain height whilst asking for vector to another base. Pulled up sharply when approaching high ground and probably stalled. Abandoned aircraft at about 150′, but had insufficient tim to use parachute. Location- Rushton cottage, The Wrekin, Shropshire. Purpose of flight- camera gun & formation flying. (AM 1180).

Hope this is of use to you.

Geoff

After a recent thread threw up a crash within a mile of my abode, I found another within 300yds! Avro Lancaster just outside my layby :

Baz,

You’d have thought somebody would have cleared it away by now.

Mark

‘Hardly a field without one’ me thinks though doth exaggerate to much my lord!!!
In Germany perhaps, you could buy a field and wait !!! But in Hastings..Nay I say…all sensible pilots would fly over it and avoid it..foresooth….

Petersfield ,Hampshire. Within 1 to 3 miles from my abode:

1939 Blenheim crash landed
1940 Me 109 Peter Becker (KIA)
1940 2 Ju88’s LG1 The Jumps
1940 Me 109 Blendworth
1944 Spitfire MH480 P/field Heath
1944 Spitfire PL831 crashed in flames ?
1952 Anson G-AGZS all killed
1953 Wyvern S4 VZ751 American exch.pilot killed

I actually saw the Wyvern go in, and was at the Anson crash the next morning (very grisly).
Given a 6 mile radius there are a multitude of wartime crash sites around me….too numerous to print right now.

Just about within sight of where I am now sat…(and certainly an easy walk!)

2 x Me 109
1 x Do 17
1 x Hurricane
1 x Typhoon
1 x Boston
1 x P-51
1 x Hawker Demon
1 x Beaufighter (of which we dug out parts only two weeks ago)
3 x Spitfire
1 x B-17

Oh….and 13 x V1s in the village.

Out of sight, and a slightly longer walk….and the list goes on.

Hardly a field without one!!!

Does anyone have info on aircraft that managed to hit the Wrekin during the war years? There are rumours of a B17 creaming itself up the west face but I have no other info.
When Telford Developement Corporation started work on the construction of Brookside estate in the early 70’s they found quantities of .50 ammo in the ground, seems like a couple of P47’s from Atcham shook hands during a training flight and one went in just near the railway bridge at Tweedale and the other I think ended up in Arcle Wood and its remains are said to be still in there.
When i was with Cosford Aerospace Museum (original membership nr 14) we made a few enquiries and at that time the wood was privately owned and strictly no trespassing,

regards, Terry

pop over to Sleap airfield (Shropshire Aero Club) inbetween Shewsbury and Wem. there the WARTIME AIRCRAFT RECOVERY GROUP (WARG) theres loadsa info n bits n pieces there.. no B17 as far as im aware although i think there was an Anson or Oxford with one or two P47`s around from Atcham.

loads of losses around my way, what with the hills and mountains and several training units around on the Shropshire/Wales border

Quite a few around here all relating to Northolt.

Dakota landing on a house few streets away. Spitfire crashing on return from the Dieppe raids, both pictured below. Also aware of a Wellington crashing on final approach during the war that killed a family on the ground. As well as Britains worst mid air collision that killed 39 in 1946 when a DC6 and Avro York collided over Ruislip Woods.

Spitfire. Malvern Avenue? 🙂

Mark

Within approx. 6 miles of my home, at least the following aircraft have crashed:
1 Lancaster
2 Halifaxes
2 B17’s
2 P47’s
1 P51
5 Dakota’s
3 Stirlings
1 Typhoon
1 Spitfire

Quite a few around here all relating to Northolt.

Dakota landing on a house few streets away. Spitfire crashing on return from the Dieppe raids, both pictured below. Also aware of a Wellington crashing on final approach during the war that killed a family on the ground. As well as Britains worst mid air collision that killed 39 in 1946 when a DC6 and Avro York collided over Ruislip Woods.