Mustang crashes near Werrington, Peteborough(2007)

I am a member of the 20th Fighter Historical Group. We carried out surveys of both Nelson’s P-51 crash at Werrington and H. Baker’s P-51 crash at Wansford. In both cases very little wreckage remained.
David

Hi all
My wifes Grandad grew up in Spalding during the war. He lived on Cradge bank so I asked him if he knew about a Mustang crash. As far as he remembers the only aircraft to crash on the Cradge was a pair of Lancasters. He remembers an Airspeed Oxford on Andrews farm and a Fortress in Burr lane. There was a Turbinlite Havoc along the railway line towards deeping but as he said it was a long time ago.
Andy

I’m sure I was told a P51 crashed at Cradge Bank near Crowland…not that far from Werrington…it came down very near a railway line.

Very misleading!

Yes – confused and surprised me as well!

I wonder if the title of the thread could be altered again,it looks like the plane crashed in 2007 .Maybe something like ww11 crash thread started 2007

Mustang Crash Site

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Please let me know if information is needed on Mustang crash site at Bungalow Farm.
Thanks,
Greg Volkman (son of Robert R. Volkman)

Apologies for bouncing an old thread but incase anyone else ever tries to research this one, there were two Mustangs from Kingscliffe that came down near Werrington, Peterborough.

Nelson’s crash (02 August 1944 in 44-13832) in which he was KIA and another which bellylanded on Bungalow Farm, which is likely this one:

44-14197 P-51D 376 E9-M , Volkman Lt. Robert R Mary, Jane II (Named for sister). Written off by Volkman on 29 October 1944 in crash landing at Newborough due to engine failure.

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=newborough

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=361&Style=searchItem&Item=1&searchString=Volkman

If a Moderator could change the thread title to “Mustang crashes near Werrington, Peterborough” that would be lovely….ta
** title changed**
Peter

Sorry the information was gleaned from several sites but the pikkies came from a friend in the US that has something too do with the 20th in a minor way, think his father was in there somewhere along the way, not been able to get hold of him to confirm the ID of the Aircraft but the request was for pictures of 44-13823 and those are what he sent me, again I apologise if they are incorrect, but at 2 am was not really inclined to look at them too closely. :p

“KI” was the squadron code for the 55th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group (a group being made up of three squadrons). What’s missing in the above info is the aircraft’s individual code letter, for example KI-A, KI-B, KI-C etc. The three Mustangs above are likely to be three completely different aircraft.

I have added a few pictures located online which I believe maybe KI ‘warming up’

It may be my eyes playing up (it is 3.30am after all) but the aircraft on the left that looks like ‘KI’ appears to be an earlier (B/C) ‘razorback’ Mustang rather than a P51D. I dont have the technology at work to clean the image up but the aircraft on the right looks like a ‘D (possibly KY codes ?)

Also I’m not familiar with USAF unit codes but was under the impression that (as per the RAF) the single letter was the individual aircraft identifier ? The damaged aircraft carries X and the ‘razorback’ is Q.

Bruce

It would appear from records that the A/C P51D #44-13832 was assigned too the 55th at Kings Cliffe and carried the code KI and was reported to have spun in over Werrington 8/2/44 pilot being killed.

I have added a few pictures located online which I believe maybe KI ‘warming up’
One of her named as ‘Lillady’
And one that appears to be KI after being involved in an accident.

No information to hand of the exact location of the crash you mentioned.
The Pilot was buried at Cambridge cemetery under E-6-6

PM me please…

Hello there,

I live in Werrington, and have done a small amount of research on this crash. I have managed to find a witness, but I’m not convinced he is talking about the same crash. I have got the acident report from the US archives, happy to share whatever I have.

Cheers

Jim

Firstly, thanks to those who gave helpful responses…sorry for the lazyness in coming on here as I live in the same village as where the a/c is described as coming down, so getting out on foot and making enquries won’t be too hard.

I was reluctant to name the pilot and aircraft for fear of spoiling someone elses “fun”, nevertheless from the webowner of the littlefriends site I have been told the following:

440802 NELSON, STEPHEN J P-51D 44-13832 (South west of) WERRINGTON, PETERBOROUGH

The aircraft crashed while climbing out from Kingscliffe on an ground attack mission to “assorted targets in France”. Spun in.

I took a photo of the pilot’s grave randomly at Madingley then thought I would look up his name. Hence where I am now. His great-niece is also conducting research from the U.S.

Regards

Slummer

Hi Slummer

Firstly to save you a hell of a lot of time.

You could put a post up here if you have an ID on the wreck as someone may have already done all the research and found it. They might even be kind enough to share the information and if not then you have lost nothing but an ID anyway.

Also try RAF commands forum the lads on their know pretty much everything there is to know or know someone who does.

Also if you have an ID then try and get the local Police reports these are sometimes more accurate than foreign military reports and also sometimes even more accurate than our RAF reports.

All these reports will have a location on them more than likely. Usually they are a bit like this (2 miles NW of cambridge) Which gives a very big area to search but if you have a rough location try asking locals as there is usually someone who knows or grandad who knows.

If you can get the US report these are very precise, Perhaps not giving you the location but the reports I have seen are very good.

Apart from that it just hard work and lots of long walks.

Good luck

Unfortunately there is no better way of finding it than being on the ground, talking to potential eyewitnesses etc…. also the grid refs given at the time usually relate to military maps of the period – therefore to get a decent ref it doesnt half help to get a period map (learnt the hard way)

TT

Hi all

I would like to find the location of a USAAF a/c crash site in the UK. I know the rough location but can I obtain an actual grid reference from anywhere?

Slummer

Ah! If only they had written them all down!!! :dev2:

A few links to be going on with that may help you locate what your looking, the third is a group of related sites.

http://www.accident-report.com/index.html

http://www.398th.org/

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Links%20page%20.htm

Hell on High Ground: Guide to Aircraft Hill Crash Sites in the UK and Ireland (Paperback)
by David W. Earl