Hiya Pagen. I lived just a mile up the road from Ventongimps towards the A30 until I was 18. As a kid I was told by my Father, a farmer, that a “Spitfire” crashed in the moor, and that it was ‘still there’ as it had ‘gone down in the mash (marsh)’
Father had heard it in its final dive. Farmer, and Home Guard soldier Mr Mewton (of Marazanvose) also told me that he was posted to guard the site. Another neighbour, farmer Mr George Grigg (now deceased) was working in the adjacent field and was soon on the scene, and attended the 1980’s dig too.
Well, like you, I was all over that moor looking for it; this would have been in the ’60s.
Some years ago I wrote to Flypast magazine and got published a request for information about the Ventongimps Beaufighter crash, before I knew of this forum of course.
A chap whose name I shamefully forget (Mr Andrew perhaps?) kindly contacted me and told me that he was a boy in Ventongimps when it happened and visited the site on his return home from school. He described the scene as one of complete devastation. I think that at least one member of the crew is interred in Illogan cemetary. Please see this wonderful series of 6 tribute videos to the fallen who are interred in Illogan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G1u-ww_AdY
Anyway, I duly left the County to try and make a living, and was later told that the Devon aviation archaeology folk had been asked or at least authorised by the Cornwall Trust for Nature Conservation to excavate and remove material that was still causing polution.
Mr Grigg remembered Mr Hood, and described to me the very hard work required to extract the material.
If you are ever up for a walk out through the Moor again I’d be glad to join you.
I wonder if Mr Hood would please consider telling us a little of the outcome of his excavation, in so far as what was recovered, and whether it is still in his collection?
Phil
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