Nick

Very interesting to hear of your family connection. I think you mean KH546 for your uncle’s aircraft? Unfortunately I never got round to a site survey, though I’d be pleased to help on the metal detecting front if you could get the landowner’s permission –*I think you would be well placed to do this. I did contact the RAF museum, who sent me copies of the accident report cards, and some kind person also sent me an aerial photo that may or may not show the crash site. I’ll PM you.

Charles

Does anyone have any further information on this crash? Do we at least know what specification of P-51 Mustangs were involved?

Nothing more from my side, unfortunately. I don’t even have access to the crash site, since I was hoping for some more concrete information before approaching the landowner. I’m reasonably confident that metal detecting would show that we have the right place, but I don’t imagine I would find anything definitive about the aircraft type.

To recap: We have a detailed report from an eyewitness who has proved to be reliable in reporting other crashes and incidents round here.

A careful analysis of AAIR monthly records last year made me fairly sure that this collision is not listed there. My working assumption is therefore that these were RAF aircraft, but I don’t know where to find RAF records.

I never followed up Will’s suggestion to search the police records. I’ll try to do that.

Charles

Thanks very much for the tip. Evidently the search by aircraft type doesn’t work well, so I have resorted to the monthly lists.

For 1943 there are 16 P-51 accidents, of which no mid-air collisions and no likely-looking locations.

For 1944 and 1945, starting with all accidents overseas (16,512) I have narrowed it successively to:

• P-51 (2,409)
• P-51 in England (1,319)
• P51, England, mid-air collision (95). Horrifyingly many.

Many of those are listed as pairs on the same day. No obvious location matches, but as you say, plenty in East Anglia. Oh for a date!

Doesn’t sound as if this one was straight and level. From my link above:

“There was a big bang and the planes seemed to break up, with one large piece diving to earth leaving a smoke trail. There was also a wing spinning down on fire.”

and:

“Bill had covered the dead pilot, who had fallen right in the corner of the field. The plane itself was further out in the field. It was deeply buried in the ground, sticking up at a roughly 30-degree angle with only part of the engine showing. There were no wings or tailplane to be seen.”

Now can anyone give me a date, nationality, squadron and pilots’ names? I was hugely impressed with the 2010 discussion on the P-51 collision near Cantley.