During a trip to Cornwall last month, I, by chance, came across this little display close to Newquay airport (RAF St Mawgan).
The engine in front of the Spitfire is from B 17 # 42 – 31559 AW J of the 96th BG , 337th Sq. Pilot – Robert J. Denissen. A short article is below.
On the 20th March 1944, the crew of a Fortress aeroplane baled out over the land and the aeroplane crashed in Looe Bay, South East Cornwall
The following extract is from the “Supplement to Annual Reports of the RNLI 1939-1946”
“About five in the evening of the 20th March 1944, the crew of a Fortress aeroplane baled out over the land and the pilot, an American officer, then took her out over the sea and himself baled out and came down in the sea about a mile south of Seaton beach. The aeroplane crashed in Looe Bay. The weather was fine and calm”
That aeroplane was the B17 Flying Fortress 42-31559
This succinct report records the bare bones of the incident, however, the little dramas which surrounded the crash and the remains of the plane, have continued to create interest to this day.
The B17 had been part of the 96th BG at Snetterton Heath in Norfolk and had been on a bombing raid over Germany but, having sustained damage, had lost direction and ended up over Cornwall. A local man, a school boy at the time, tells how the plane came over in a horseshoe pattern from the direction of Morval and how he saw several of the crew parachute out over farmland near Bray. The plane went on over the sea, out of view and several Looe boys, now in their 70s, have shared their memories of seeing the plane crash into the sea.
The pilot, R.G. Dennison was rescued by George Love and Mrs Pearce who rowed out in a leaking boat with the latter baling out en route.
The subsequent interest in the accident mainly centred on the remains of the plane. People locally, remember the wheels being on the quay shortly after the crash. In the 1970s, some local divers rescued some parts of the plane but could not find anywhere to place them so they were put back.
Now with the rediscovery of some of the engines and propellers, after the recent storms, by Dick Berrie and his sons Thomas & Sam, from Northants, there has been a wonderful response from local people re telling the story. Details are emerging, such as the fact that the crew had to be persuaded to jump, at gun point! Undeniably, the pilot took a very brave decision in ditching into the sea and thereby avoiding the plane crashing on the land which would have probably resulted in loss of civilian lives.
The pilot died about 2 years ago, but his widow has been informed of the interest being shown in the event of which there has been a great deal.
The engine is being prepared for display in the museum in Looe and it will be accompanied by notes and pictures illustrating the whole story, both of the crash and the subsequent recovery of the artefacts and many details of the story. The 2 propellers have gone to St Mawgan to a small aircraft museum where they will no doubt be appreciated by the US forces based nearby.
Hopefully, after all the memories which are being recounted, there will be a chance to create a record of life in and around Looe during the dark days of World War 2.
Remains of another engine, not sure what it’s from maybe an Anson ?
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