US Navy PB4Y Liberator Crash In Cornwall in WW2

Hi Pagan,

The Bu# I came up with is what I got from The Naval History Center when I stop by and did a quick check on this crash. Don’t forget that all of the PB4Y-1 all were original B-24D that were re-asign to the US Navy so they had both an US Army Air Corp Serial # and a US Navy Bu#. NHC has the crash records from this one I look at them rather quickly since I was looking for some information on another aircraft.

If any one wish I could do a search again after the first of the year and get the accident records and reports.

Hi Gents,

The Warwick was carrying diplomatic mail and banknotes.

Some were recovered at the time of the crash.

Some hard and fast facts to add to the rumours:

From RNLI Records of Service 1939 to 1946

APRIL 17TH. – NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.
Early in the morning a crash was heard by
the coastguard, but the weather was foggy
and he could see nothing. He made enquiries
but learnt nothing. At 9.33 the life-boat
honorary secretary heard from the flying
control officer at St. Mawgan Air Port that
wreckage and a dinghy could be seen off
Watergate Bay. The weather was fine, but still
foggy, with visibility about three-quarters of
a mile. At 9.50 the motor life-boat Richard
Silver Oliver was launched and found the
wreckage of a British Warwick aeroplane.
Her crew of four and twelve passengers had all
been killed. She picked up eleven bodies,
and took in tow some wreckage in which
another body was entangled. She also
picked up a quantity of mail, including a
packet of one-hundred-dollar bills worth
approximately £45,000. She then made a
careful search, but found neither survivors nor
bodies, and returned to her station at 1.45
that afternoon. – Rewards, £14 14s.

Actually thats not the site I meant, the one Im thinking of is really a list of serials and dates etc. Thats the same Warwick, lots of stories, but yes I believe it had gold and other valuables on board.

Pagen and Scorpion.

Appreciate the info. I will have a look at the cliffs a bit closer when down there next. The Riveria on Mawgan Porth was closed and looking a bit derelict when I was down last. Been in there a few time but never noticed anything.

I seem to remember a board up in the bar on the beach at Watergate, but I havent been in there for a long while now. I prefer the one up the road a bit!

The site on USAAF accidents you are after is

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/

I do a little bit of work for the chap – im presently doing the 1950’s accident listings for him. More of a hobby than proper research.

Was it another Warwick that was lost after take off that allegedly had a load of gold on board? or is it the same but a different story?

Scorpian, the serial I have is 42-2035, and it was definatley thirteen lost, this is from an eyewitness account from someone who had an hour long test flight in the aircraft earlier.
I’m personally not aware of any memorial, though there should be one! Seem to remember that the Riviera pub at Mawgan Porth has something about it.
The main impact was at the Mawgan end of Watergate (a long beach).
Re the SAR launches, the RAF already had them at Hawkers Cove (Padstow) but they didn’t routinely stand by for take offs etc. The RN had to provide two RMLs (not sure what type of launch that is?) also based at Padstow, one of which was always covering flying ops out in the bay.
Accidents were very regular at the time, indeed on the 23rd October 43, a USAAF B-24 bound for Marrakesh crashed on take off killing all eleven souls. Just after that another Marrakesh bound B-24, crashed near Colan (just to south of the airfield) killing three crew, two days later a C-47 crashed, killing all of its four man crew.
There is an American website that lists USAAF aircraft lost in England, but can’t find it at the moment
Of course there is also the loaclly well known Warwick ‘mystery’. BV247 took of at night on Apri 17th, 1944, exploded and crashed into the sea with sixteen souls. Many think it was a bomb plot due to the important nature of some the passengers, indeed there was a BBC TV programme made about it.

Bu#32025 (ex USAAF B-24D 42-40296, VB-113) crashed after takeoff on ferry flight
to US from St Mawgan, UK extended to Marrakech 12/28/1943. Crew of 11 killed.

Here is the aircraft information for you.

Thanks for the replies. Just what the doctor ordered Pagen01! as you say a bit spooky about the dates. I have been looking for ages but never found anything so I was completely unaware of the dates when this happened.

I vaguely remember again from what I read that there was possibly a memorial placed on the cliffs above/near the site as a memorial. Are you aware if this is the case and if so any ideas where it is? On the St Mawgan side of the beach or the Trevarrian side?

Apologies for the questions, but its the only way to get answers!

It is amazing you posted this now, it was the 28th December 1943!
It is quite a well known and awful accident, should be able to find info fairly easily.
The basics of it are, the PB4Y-1 took of from St Mawgan with thirteen timed out crew (flown their allocated 30 combat sorties) on their way home to the States. It was climbing for height when they had engine/propellor problems, the captain turned the aircraft for a return to RW 14, but lost too much height in the process and it flew straight into the Watergate cliff face. There were no survivors. As if this wasn’t bad enough the USAAF despatched eight people to recover possible survivors, but five of them perished in the incoming tide.
Eisenhower himself was so moved by this accident that he insisted that launches be stationed of Mawgans coast during aircraft dispatches, the AM duly obliged and based them at Padstow.
During sunset, you can still see a large silver scar in the cliffs, and this is where the main spar impacted. The sand still yields small componants from the wreckage, sometimes in suprisingly complete condition.
This was just one of many tragic wartime accidents at St Mawgan.

Like i say this is just general info, I do know that there is a chap in Newquay who has thoroughly researched and documented this accident.

Could be this one Sir,

Bu#63925 (VB-105) loss of control over Trevose Head, Cornwall, UK,
during simulated fighter attack exercise and crashed and burned Sept 10, 1943. 8 killed.