Hurricane finds

Hi couldn’t find contact details on air defense website,,can you contact me on [email]aerobatic@hotmail.co.uk[/email] ,,, I suspect I have most of what you’re looking for ref Hurricane.

looks as though i should have got into this 20 or 30 years ago. Any idea of the location of the P51 accident?? Also what has happened to all of these A/C.

. I don’t suppose he has ever mentioned a P51 diving onto the ground close to Great Sampford Feb 1945. Apparently on the 04/02/1945 P51-D 44-15531 dived into the ground nr Great Sampford, killing pilot Alvin Wallace.

Cheers

Steve[/QUOTE]

Also recovered by the Essex Aviation Group in 1988-89

Cheyne’s death certificate appears identical to Flemings. Incidently what was the home address of Fleming, when doing some research a while ago i seem to recall that they were from the same town in New Zealand.

Also Adrian i noticed you said your father witnessed the accident. I don’t suppose he has ever mentioned a P51 diving onto the ground close to Great Sampford Feb 1945. Apparently on the 04/02/1945 P51-D 44-15531 dived into the ground nr Great Sampford, killing pilot Alvin Wallace.

Cheers

Steve

I’ve just got Fleming’s certificate, and it too reads “Great Sampford RD” – I think that RD is “Rural District” rather than road.

Interestingly, where normally you would get the informant’s details – ie the person who registered the death – this one reads “Certificate received from D M Fleming Officer Commanding” – so presumably the RAF handled the identification and so on. Given that the bucket squad would presumably be enlisted men, so unlikely to be local, I suspect that that was plenty close enough for the paperwork wallahs. A pain, as if the other aircraft fell in either Sampford it would have been Little.

Bother…

Adrian

Got the death cert for Cheyne today and as someone has already mentioned, place of death is given Great Sampford road. Which is pretty much generalised area.

Steve.

Wolfpack,

I’d be very interested to hear more about the other site – it has always been my understanding that the landowner would not allow it to be dug.

Incidentally, that’s almost certainly the same clipping my parents sent me in 1983 – sadly Phil Chapman died about three years ago.

Adrian

I am told EAG did both sites, I dont think the other turned much up

Correct, the second site was investigated.

I am told EAG did both sites, I dont think the other turned much up

Also, I take it that the other Hurricane is still un disturbed, any one know the exact location of this site.

I would agree that the engine was smashed judging by the pieces i have found on the surface.

Newspaper article following the first dig at the site.

The merlin was smashed.
The crankshaft & conrods from it was on display at the Airscene Museum for many years until it closed.

Think your correct there with the sump plug, on the second lot of pics, photo 3 top right is the top from one the internal parts the lead battery and pic 4 is a core plug from the merlin.

Hurricane finds

Hi all, the second picture on the top has what looks like a sump plug or something, I have one the same from a hurricane that crashed on bembridge down on the isle of wight. Found it about 10 years ago while out with the metal detector. Unfortunatly the pilot bailed out too low and was killed.

Steve

Junk Collector,

I think you might be taking orders for that DVD! 1983 sounds right to me – I hadn’t been away at boarding school long when it happened, I got sent the newspaper clipping. I wasn’t impressed…

Smashed engine sounds right – I’ve been told that the engine wasn’t recovered, but as the parts on display at a village history exhibition included several pistons still in their liners, I think that idea came about because it didn’t come out in one big lump but as a pile of bits.

The second certificate is now ordered, will see what transpires.

Adrian

Thats great.

When i spoke to the farmer, he told me that on the first dig human remains were found and the local police were called in to deal with it. The dig was then stopped. The second dig then took place a year or so later.

If this is correct surley the police would have been able to discover who the remains belonged to, and if so what would have happened to them?

I am very interested that there is a dvd on the dig, was it actually filmed or is it a series of photo’s.

Steve.

The DVD I believe is a film of the dig showing a very large amount of wreckage dug up, I am told that EAG didn’t throw stuff back.

The first dig took place in September 1982 and it was abandoned because the digger broke down! Excavations the following year yielded masses of airframe wreckage together with the smashed merlin engine & four browning machine guns.
The Hurricane crashed following a mid air collision, both aircaft were with 52 OTU flying from Debden.
hope this helps:)

Thats great.

When i spoke to the farmer, he told me that on the first dig human remains were found and the local police were called in to deal with it. The dig was then stopped. The second dig then took place a year or so later.

If this is correct surley the police would have been able to discover who the remains belonged to, and if so what would have happened to them?

I am very interested that there is a dvd on the dig, was it actually filmed or is it a series of photo’s.

Steve.

I have been speaking to a former member of the EAG, who dug the site twice around 1980/81. They recovered engine, guns stick, etc i am getting sent a copy of the dvd of the dig shortly