Another reason,as related to me by members of the 357th FG,is during the winter of 1944 it was decided that bare metal was actually harder to spot,at least from above,against a snow covered europe.

As others have mentioned an Olive Drab painted B-17 weighed around a quarter ton more than the same model in NMF.

Garry.

Personally I’d rather see the Hampden finished or a composite Wellington at East Kirkby before money was used to put NX611 in the air.

As she is NX611 is a great memorial to the men of Bomber Command and East Kirkby is one of the few places the public can get up close to a “live” WW2 bomber,something which may not be so easy is she was back in the air.

Garry.

If I were you I’d tactfully suggest that his book would be well received by many people,and has he thought about a wider publication?.

I’m in a similiar situation,although in this case it’s a book about one aircrew who died in a crash and I am the researcher-writer.At first I was writing it for the mens families and those locals who are interested,however the families have said they would like a wider publication if possible,so that is now my intention.

I know of someone else who has already written a book on an aviation related topic,it took him years and he carried out a massive amount of research but after being told by one publisher there “wouldn’t be any interest” he put it away and left it,I have suggested that he should try other publishers.

Garry.

My reason for asking is I wonder if it is still sitting in a scrapyard somewhere.

Does anyone have any contact details for the people who recovered it? Perhaps it is still saveable….

Cheers
Elliott

Hi Elliott,

I did follow it up and unfortunatly it was melted down. Why the “Boston Havoc Trust”,as a preservation group and BAAC member scrapped the wing without offering to anyone is a question I would like an answer to myself.

Garry.

Hi Elliott,

The Boston wing section was scrapped as soon as it was recovered,1994 if I remember correctly. It’s all in the BAAC magazine but I can’t remember which edition,I’ll have to find the copy I have.

Parts of the Ventura are still around,although little remains on the crash site. The engines were removed in 1984 for the “Snowdonia Historic Aviation Group”,without the landowners permission. The last large-ish piece of skinning was removed in 1996 by a collector/wreckologist from Cheshire.

Garry.

Well said Chris,I agree completely. If you ask permission not only are you doing the right thing,but as you say you often hear a story or see a building/site which you otherwise wouldn’t have if tresspassing.

Garry.

I agree it’s an interesting website,but like the UE people discussed in another thread it appears this chap doesn’t ask permission before going onto private land,for example on his “explore” of Rougham hall he “Went through the woods to aviod going past the grounds keepers cottage”. Why not just ask permission first? if the owners say no,which they have every right to do,just accept it.

I have been to many WW2 airbases and always contact the owners in advance and because of this I have met many interesting people and seen things that I wouldn’t have if I had been tresspassing.

Garry.