Three members of the Bottisham Airfield Museum did a field walk today of a known crash area resulting from a P-51 and P-47 midair collision. Bit of a long shot but we are wondering if the small parts in the pic have anything to do with the P-51 and if anyone can identify them? The pound coin is there for scale.
Thanks,
Rob
By: Wyvernfan - 4th February 2013 at 08:01
Jason – thanks for posting up the full sad story.
Critter & Denis – thanks for that, and very interesting that three of you have now mentioned a Browning connection. It was found in the area where we were expecting P-51 parts to turn up, but such was the violence of the collision then i guess pieces of the P-47 could of been wedged in the Mustangs remains and carried on.
Does the piece above the pound coin look familiar to anyone? It has a kind of swivelling arm movement inside, with what looks like a raised ‘stop’ on the threaded part.
Rob
By: Denis - 4th February 2013 at 06:25
Me too,
Its in the shed, mine is attached through corresponding holes to a short angled section of stainless steel channel about an inch and a half wide, from a P-47 crash site we dug. Must dig it out, excuse the pun!
By: critter592 - 4th February 2013 at 01:19
the stainless pin reminds me of some part of a browning mount, but not sure
I’m sure I have a similar part, which originated from a fieldwalk where I was looking for evidence of a P-47 crash.
By: Jasonp51d - 3rd February 2013 at 20:21
August 18 1944
The midair occurred on August 18 1944 when a lone 78th FG P-47 flown by Jack Miller flew through the whole of the 361st FG as they were in the pattern to land – unfortunately both Miller & 2nd Lt. Milton Dahl of the 361st FG were killed.
Rob has been been out for a walk with Peter Dawson an eyewitness to the crash.
Cheers
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd February 2013 at 19:16
When I lived, briefly, just along the road in Swaffham Bulbeck, two locals called Jack Heath and Jock Wells told me about this incident. All I knew was that it fell in a cornfield (I believe off the actual airfield) and they struggled to save an Allis-Chalmers combine machine from the burning crop. They did show me the spot, but I cannot recall where it was now. It was a long time ago, and I suspect very much that Jack and Jock will have passed away. They were getting on a bit, then!
I think I mentioned it in my “Little Friends” book (Random House, New York) written with Philip Kaplan.
By: Wyvernfan - 3rd February 2013 at 18:23
Thanks for the reply TA. We were’t sure if it was farm machinery based but are open to any suggestions.
Rob
By: Trolly Aux - 3rd February 2013 at 18:08
the stainless pin reminds me of some part of a browning mount, but not sure
Sign In
February 3, 2013 at 3:43 pm