Peak Wreck Hunters

Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk. III BK405

2011-09-24T04:55:00.001+01:00

Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk. III BK405 , a photo by Conan the Trainspotter on Flickr.

Boeing 737-400-G-OBME

2011-09-20T05:52:00.002+01:00

This memorial to those who died in the Kegworth Air Disaster is on a bridge over the M1.

Location: SK 47433 26467

More info

Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 RA487 : Looting

2011-08-19T15:12:00.005+01:00

Nipped in on our way past the other day to find that all that remains at the Hagg Side crash site is this bit of armour plate. Shame on you, looters!

Douglas Skymaster C-54G-5-DO 45-543

2011-05-23T09:51:00.006+01:00

A day out in the Trough of Bowland with some Flickr buddies as well as Hal and Steve located this undercarriage leg from a cargo 'plane whose instruments were seduced when returning from the Berlin airlift by the call of a commercial radio station to fly into Stake House Fell.

Location:SD 55650 49425

More info: here

Lockheed Lightning P38G 42-13345/F5E 44-24229

2011-04-29T10:31:00.017+01:00

A day out in the vicinity of Aberystwyth earlier in the week to look at a two sites with Matt ZX and a couple of our regulars.

First up the infamous and contentious Plynlimon Lightning, about which you'll see very little reliable information on the internet (other than this) - was it for example Lightning F5E 44-24229 or P38 42-13345?

More contentious and far more interesting to non-anoraks is who did this:

Who cut the turbocharger out of this wing and took it home back in 2003/2004? Here's what it used to look like pre-vandalism:

There's a sizeable reward for information leading to recovery...

Location: SN 79840 86523

More info:

Hawker Hunter T7 XL575

2011-04-29T10:30:00.006+01:00

While we were in the area we went over to the nearby Hawker Hunter crash site at Gelmast , where only small fragments like these remain.

Location: SN 77568 75749

More info

A grand day out: NOT a V1 crater

2011-04-03T08:55:00.015+01:00

Had a day out with Pat, Paul and Ian yesterday-it went well, right until the point when Paul described me as a "prominent wreckologist"- I'd have preferred "fat bastard" to that-;-)

He did however take a cracking photo of this Parachute mine crater, (wrongly believed to have been made by a V1 until quite recently) so we'll let him off.

Someone has recently erected this sign mislabelling the crater...don't believe everything you read...

Consul

2011-04-03T08:54:00.003+01:00

Looting and fiddling continues at the Consul site- the engine was once more wrapped in plastic and hidden from sight. A bit more is missing, and a new home-made sign has appeared.

Oxford

2011-04-03T08:53:00.003+01:00

Another new sign at the Oxford site (by my right foot)

Real V1- Death by walking poles.

2011-04-03T08:52:00.006+01:00

Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep...Comfort break at the real V1 site

Piper Pa38 Tomahawk G-TOMS

2011-02-12T21:10:00.023Z

We had a day out on Pen-y-fan in the Brecon Beacons yesterday. We hadn't been up it before- despite being the highest peak in South Wales, it's a pretty lightweight mountain.

It has what is more or less a metalled road all the way up, and consequently on a Saturday it's more heavily trafficked than our High Street.

Near the summit this crashed light aircraft (downed in the first snows last November) still lies, awaiting collection by the air accident investigators.

The pilot walked down the mountain after making this landing and hitched a lift to hospital with his minor cuts and bruises. Witnesses report that he had difficulty making himself believed about his situation.

Inside the cabin, all of the avionics are still there, except the central instrument.

Was this his GPS? Or was it his radio, and some pikeys have visited the wreck?

Some wag has scraped "POLICE AWARE!" into the paint of the fuselage.

It's pikeys then-wonder what that radio looks like in their pimped out metro?

Location: SO 00503 20720

More info

Bristol Blenheim Mk.V AZ876

2010-12-28T07:39:00.005Z

Weather and work have interfered with recent outings, but just before the weather closed in I went over to Idridgehay in Derbyshire to see what remains to be seen at the crash site of this Blenheim, which took off from Ashbourne in July 1943 only to nosedive straight into the ground killing all of the crew. Answer- this patch of nettles in a slight depression.

My picture above is rather less interesting than this one, (which I got from Pat Cunningham) of the armour plating taken away by enthusiasts subsequent to an unlicensed excavation of the site by the farmer in the last 90's.

The farmer also dug up an extensive collection of personal effects, including a wallet containing a leave pass and a month's wages. It's bad enough for a serviceman to get killed, but dying with a full wallet and a leave pass, that's a tragedy!

Location: SK 29599 47544

More info

Handley Page Hampden Mk.I X3154 coded ZN-A

2010-11-03T13:46:00.003Z

Had a day out with Pat today on a windy Rushup Edge to have a look at a few sites. If (like everyone else) you took a photo of the 0.303 round which was embedded in one of the lumps of formerly molten aluminium at this crash site, you'll not be able to take another, as it has disappeared since our last visit.

The nearby Oxford site had also been disturbed.

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.IC Z8808 coded KJ-E

2010-11-01T08:03:00.005Z

A long trek in (as usual at this location) foggy conditions yielded extensive scattered wreckage from this crash near Ashfold Gill Head on Gouthwaite Moor in the Yorkshire Dales.

Location: SE 07303 68831

More info

Grumman Avenger FN821 coded 4-K

2010-09-27T18:25:00.021+01:00

A visit yesterday to this little known site confirmed by its obvious signs of recent interference what we have known for a good while now: left to their own devices, sad anoraks will ignore the law and strip crash sites illegally, including sites like this one where all crew involved died.

Compare the dug out crater and piled wreckage you see here with the description of the site in August 2006:

"The crash site has, basically, been left untouched all this time, being protected by the heavy vegetation. Wreckage is still embedded in the crater that used to be water filled but now mostly drained by the surrounding trees. Showing all the signs of a vertical high speed descent, the wreckage lies crumpled around. The crater clearly shows the outline of the frontal aspect of the Avenger being lopsided as if missing a wing. The remaining wing area still contained remains of undercarriage, tyre and fuel tank structures. Cockpit framing lay embedded into one side of the crater only" Source : Ezraysnet

The tiresomely repeated claim of the grave-robbers that "curious walkers" are responsible for taking bits away from these sites simply will not wash here. Being very well hidden in extensive forestry, this is not a site which any casual walker would stumble upon, and before now, there were no accurate published coordinates-the High Ground Wrecks coordinates are well out at this site.

The diggers clearly knew where it was though-bits have apparently already found their way to Fort Perch Rock, a wreckologists "museum" which we are told makes the Millom scrapyard look like Duxford.

We are led to understand that the thorough work-over shown in the photos has happened in the last year. Anyone know anything else?

Location: SJ 01382 25611

More info

Republic P-47 C Thunderbolt 41-6246 / HL-F

2010-09-13T08:32:00.005+01:00

Had a day out on Aran Fawddwy yesterday, getting the last two sites on there cleared up.

This is one of the larger wreckage piles from the crash of this Thunderbolt, whose trail we only touched on previously. Skinning and assorted bits are scattered all around this location, which lies more or less directly below the impact point.

Location: SH 86389 21890

More info

North American P 51-D Mustang 44-72340 / WD-K

2010-09-13T08:29:00.011+01:00

Rainforest 0 wreck-hunters 1

We located one of the wreckage piles from this crash site, whose close-packed spiky vegetation and deep ground cover defeated us (as it has many others) previously. Result!

Note that the coordinates below are plus or minus around 25m, (rather than our normal 5m) due to interference with our GPSr signal from the dense tree cover, so here's some additional assistance: there is a stream too small to appear on the 1:25K OS map in the vicinity of these coordinates. Close to the side of the stream is a really big boulder, the largest we saw in the wood. You should more or less be able to see the wreckage from this boulder.

Location: SH 84043 23682

More info

1942 headstamp

2010-08-30T14:13:00.005+01:00

A clear close-up view of the ACP cartridge case found at the Norseman site on Shining Tor, clearly showing the (19)42 headstamp which proves it can't be from the 1941 Defiant crash

More info

NOT Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III BJ652 coded Z

2010-08-25T10:52:00.004+01:00

Reports have reached us from a number of relevant museum staff that this is not in fact part of Wellington BJ652, contrary to what we were told over on the Aero Parts Identify Board, and reported previously.

We are happy to go with the new information, unless someone has an informed alternative opinion?

Millom "Museum" Closes

2010-08-20T14:08:00.017+01:00

We hear that the "museum" pictured where bits of unrecognisable scrap dug pointlessly and amateurishly from crash sites by "enthusiasts" were piled up ("exhibited" would be too generous, as the quote below shows) is to close.

A local resident is quoted as saying:

"is that a museum on devenshire road? i thought it was some sort of scrapyard or dumping ground for old planes and rusting junk. its an accident waiting to happen with no fencing around it to stop kids getting in and hurting themselves! its also a bloody eyesore and ruins a good walk in what used to be a beautiful part of millom"

So that's a result, then! The only problem now is what will happen with all of the stuff the anoraks dug up?

We know the answer to that - just the same as always happens - it will be lost, and neither scientific knowledge nor permanent exhibits will remain from these saddoes playing at archaeologists. Why don't they just leave things alone?

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 42-22491

2010-08-13T07:14:00.006+01:00

A buzz around with Pat C today yielded a few new sites, though being all in the lowlands, nothing too spectacular.

First up is this memorial plaque erected recently on the Upper Tean cottages hit by a US Thunderbolt in 1944.

Location: SK 00786 39584

More info

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 42-74728

2010-08-13T07:12:00.006+01:00

Despite previous excavation by enthusiasts, there are still scraps of aluminium to be found amongst the trees alongside the Greenway Hall Golf Club where a pilot-less Thunderbolt hit the ground.

Baling out hadn't helped the pilot in this instance , as he opened his parachute prematurely, and was killed by the sudden deceleration.

Location: SJ 91936 50646

More info

Handley Page Halifax Mk. 2 BB320

2010-08-13T07:10:00.009+01:00

What appears to be an inspection cover found at the site of the crash of this Halifax, despite a previous amateurish excavation by Macclesfield's enthusiasts.

Crash date 7th February 1944-due to icing and engine failure, compounded by the pilot's inexperience with losing engines

Location: SJ 97409 47408

More info

De Havilland Venom FB Mk.1 WK390

2010-08-13T07:08:00.009+01:00

Pat with some scraps found at the Caverswall (Staffordshire) crash site of this test version of the Venom, which was essentially an uprated Vampire.

Location: SJ 95188 43844

More info

Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk. 10 LP397

2010-07-30T15:36:00.009+01:00

Had a day out with Pat C on Wednesday to a few sites I'd not been to previously (as well as the Fauld Crater).

These are a couple of bits from the Church Mayfield Wellington crash site.

Location: SK15449 44950

More info: Crash date 13th June 1944- an experienced pilot for once, brought down by a thunderstorm

Vickers Varsity T1 WJ897 / G-BDFT

2010-07-28T15:36:00.018+01:00

Though the unfortunate 'plane dated back to 1952, this crash took place in 1984, with a crew drawn from the enthusiast group which had just restored the aircraft.

This memorial was erected in 2009, replacing the less-formal one which was at the site prior to that.

A collection of the burned aluminium debris which still litters the crash site (in Marchington, Staffordshire) is shown beside the plaque.

We have received a communication from a relative of one of those who were aboard with concerns that the coordinates below will encourage diggers and metal detectorists to disturb the plantings they have made at the site.

As Pat Cunningham already published the site coordinates in 2005, we will leave them up, but we very much hope that the conscience of anyone reading would prevent them disturbing this recent crash site using these coordinates.

Location: SK 15103 30064

More info

Republic P-47C Thunderbolt 41-6259

2010-07-28T15:36:00.015+01:00

Since Pat last visited this crash site in Sudbury Coppice (near Ashbourne in Derbyshire) other visitors have apparently piled scraps of aircraft wreckage on the tree stump directly beside the crash crater.

Location:SK 15617 35518

More info: Crash date-19th January 1944-the pilot was ferrying the aircraft from Halesworth in Suffolk to Maghaberry in Northern Ireland, and lost control of the aircraft when attempting to climb through low cloud.

Ringinglow Gyroscope: The other side

2010-07-25T14:35:00.003+01:00

I went to see the man who has the Ringinglow gyroscope now a bit back, and noted that this side didn't match the pics we were sent of the torpedo gyro. The chassis certainly looks the same, but it seems to have been modified...

North American F-86 Sabre F.Mk 4s XD707 + XD730

2010-07-24T19:09:00.007+01:00

The cockpit from one of the Kinder Sabres is in someone's house, along with a great deal of stuff from other crash sites, and assorted ordnance....

De Havilland Mosquito NF.Mk.30 NT266

2010-07-24T19:08:00.007+01:00

The much looted crash site of NT266 on Pockley Moor, Yorkshire still had these undercarriage parts as of last week. Look on ebay for the rest.

Location: SE 62039 92492

More info

Avro Lancaster Mk X KB701

2010-07-24T19:07:00.006+01:00

I was lucky to find even this one of the few remaining scattered bits of wreckage at the Helmsley Moor crash site of this Lancaster Bomber.

Location: SE 58808 92116

More info

Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman 43-35439 or Defiant Mk.I T3921?

2010-07-08T17:21:00.004+01:00

A rubbish photo of what appears to be a .45 calibre ACP round headstamped "A T 42" found at the disputed crash site.

This US standard sidearm ammunition leads us to conclude that this does indeed seem to be the crash site of a US 'plane, rather than a British one, and it cannot be the 1941 Defiant crash site, as the "42" is a year marking.

Norseman it is then.

Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman 43-35439 or Defiant Mk.I T3921?

2010-07-07T09:04:00.006+01:00

Pat sent me this picture of a component marked with a distinctive merged AP logo from the disputed Shining Tor crash site-click through on pic. above to zoom in.

Where have I seen that logo before?

North American Harvard Mk.IIB FT442

2010-06-25T15:34:00.005+01:00

A day out with Pat today. Amongst other things we found this bit of metal at the Harvard site on Shining Tor, more convincing that the scraps of perspex we found last time.

We also found a discharged handgun round at the nearby Defiant/Norseman site, about which more later...

Gloster Javelin F.A.W Mk.5 XA662

2010-06-24T09:05:00.013+01:00

We had a grand day out in Wensleydale (I had the cheese on the way back, it was nothing special in its native area) yesterday in fine weather to look at a couple of decent wreck sites above Castle Bolton.

The photo shows a detail from the extensive wreckage pile over the hill in Apedale from the crash of this early jet fighter (the pilot and trainee on board both ejected safely after both engines failed)

It is an end-on view of a jet-pipe, which is maybe 10 feet long. Pictures of the rest of the wreckage can be seen on the Flickr site, click though on the pic if you want to see them.

We'd be more concerned over the degree of inaccuracy we established in Clarks' published coordinates here if you couldn't see the site from over 200m away...

Location: SE 01545 94188

More info

De Havilland Mosquito F.B Mk.VI TA525

2010-06-24T08:47:00.010+01:00

We recognised this pothole from Richard Allenby's site (see "more info" below), so we knocked the nettles aside and had a peer in to find...

...this wreckage, formerly to be seen just outside the pothole. It seems that someone has thoughtfully "tidied it up".

There is a much bigger pile of wreckage just above this location which certain others might pretend they had visited, but their photos didn't come out-in our case however the truth is that we were so focussed on finding this pothole that we just forgot.

Location: SE 02111 92966

More info

Avro Vulcan B. Mk.2 XH536

2010-06-17T14:46:00.009+01:00

An outing to the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons yesterday in flag-cracking sunshine proved successful in locating two wreck sites from the Brecon Beacons pamphlet.

First up was this one, a crater left when a Vulcan crashed into a snow-covered hillside indistinguishable from the low cloud around it on 11th February 1966 with no survivors. Click on the pic to see the wreckage in the crater.

Location: SN 91152 21363

Avro Vulcan B. Mk.2 XH536

2010-06-17T14:42:00.004+01:00

This incredibly heavy bit of the Vulcan flew quite some distance from the crater. Not sure what it is, but it was built to last

Location: SN 91199 21489

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 42-5903 "Ascend Charlie"

2010-06-17T14:41:00.005+01:00

This cairn is partially constructed from previously molten and torn aluminium from the Pen Gwylt Meirch crash site of Flying Fortress "Ascend Charlie". Unlike so many of the crash sites we have visited, this crew were on their way back from having seen action, rather than being casualties of training or hi-jinks.

Location: SO 24177 25366

More info:"An American Bomber crashed on the mountain near the Cwm Farm, Llanbedr at 21:20 hours on 16 September 1943. Fortress 42-5903 known as Ascend Charlie piloted by First Lt. Herbert Turner was hit in No. 1 engine by flak over La Rochelle. On the return journey the formation hit a cloud front with the oncoming darkness the formation scattered resulting in the plane hitting the hillside and killing all 10 crew." Addis.,J. (2002) "Crickhowell Yesterday" Abergavenny: Broadleaf

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 42-5903 "Ascend Charlie"

2010-06-17T14:39:00.005+01:00

The memorial to "The Turner Crew" as they are sometimes known is immediately adjacent to the crash site. The average age of the crew was 22.

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 42-5903 "Ascend Charlie"

2010-06-17T14:38:00.004+01:00

The memorial to the crew of the flying fortress in the church in nearby Llanbedr. There's one in the Red Lion next door too...

Location: SO 23933 20465

North American P 51-D Mustang 44-72340 / WD-K

2010-06-10T12:13:00.015+01:00

Rainforest 1: Wreckhunters 0

We ( Me, Mick, Matt ZX) went over to Aran Fawddwy yesterday with a view to finding a bit of the Mustang whose wreckage was scattered there.

We had the crash report, and the various published coordinates. There were three of us, we had all day to look and we had all found a good few wreck sites.

We found nothing where the crash report map showed wreckage should have been, we found nothing where TR Hill's book described wreckage in a rainforest, and we found nothing where Clark's book reported wreckage, other than incredibly tightly packed trees, festooned with moss.

Crash Report: SH 845 233
Clark et al: SH 841 237
Hill: SH 846 234

We have a report that someone from Chester looted the site back in the early 90's, and that one of their friends has been operating nearby recently.

Anyone know anything?

Bruster Rooster? The fake crash report documents

2010-06-10T11:53:00.010+01:00

So I now have one of those sets of "fake" crash document reports, reproduced below. I'm not convinced that they cast any doubt on the veracity of the Overexposed report posted previously, but appear to me to be joke documents produced as part of an outward bound type exercise. Apparently there is another set, more intended to deceive. Will publish when I get them. Comments?

Where did it all go?

2010-06-02T19:31:00.003+01:00

Here's evidence from the May 1968 issue of Air Clues, an RAF magazine as to where some of the bigger sections of the Peak District sites went. Wonder where the bits taken are now?

Looks like the readily portable stuff was already gone by then, judging by the slim pickings available to these air cadets.

The crash sites referred to are believed to be that of Botha W5103, Defiant N3378, Blenheim L1476 and Swordfish P4223, but this last one is strangely a long way from the others, which form something of a cluster. Is there another Swordfish site?

Lockheed Lightning P-38F 41-7677 (Maid of Harlech) Update

2010-05-23T09:08:00.010+01:00

We hear that the anoraks are once again up in arms about not being able to loot the Harlech P-38, which is receiving further press attention due in part to interest in TIGHAR's current expedition to Nikumaroro to look for Amelia Earhart's 'plane.

Blackburn B-24 Skua Mk.II L3054?

2010-05-06T20:34:00.006+01:00

Report from Rob the Tog on the continuing saga of Elidir Fawr...

I decided to have a go a pinning down the Skua (L3054) crash on Elidir Fawr. Well the short story is that I didn’t find the crash site. At first I walked up the valley skirting the bottom of the lower scree and looking with the binoculars to see if I could spot anything. I was working on the principle that wreckage usually moves downhill, but nothing.

Then I climbed up and moved to the top boulder field (I thought I spotted it, but as usual it turned out to be a brown rock!). I scouted round, but the place is nightmare to search on your own, the boulder field is big but stable, so you can cross it, but you could be a few feet away from any wreckage and still not spot it.

I did find a six foot long rusted steel tube with about a two inch diameter (no markings etc, too much rust), it could be from the aircraft but only its age makes it a possible. [see pic. above]

I searched the main boulder field as best I could in the fall line from the summit but didn’t find anything else. The problem with this one is the boulders spread right from the top of Elidir Fawr all the way along the summit ridge for a good few hundred metres, so unless the location can be pinned down a bit it will take an epic search to find it (or just a lot of luck!).

I did spot some nice fossils in the rocks at the top of the mountain and found a rock which I think could be a meteorite (because of it totally out of place look and its got a very high iron content which doesn’t fit with the local rocks). So not a bad day out despite not finding the crash site. I guess it might be a case to try and get a copy of the accident card from Hendon.

Location: SH 61238 61230

Anyone know anything?

Sperry Gyropilots and Torpedo Gyroscopes

2010-04-27T22:58:00.015+01:00

We are told that the "V1 gyro" from Ringinglow is actually a Sperry gyropilot as illustrated in this pic from the manual. They were apparently fitted to C47s and early B17s.

But others claim it is a GA VIII Gyroscope from a WW2 German G7e torpedo. The torpedo gyro pic below (from German Wapedia) looks pretty convincing to my inexpert eye, there are so many points of similarity that this must be it, or a very close relative.

So who missed the sea by 100 miles?

Ringinglow V1 gyroscope?

2010-04-22T11:24:00.007+01:00

This was apparently found near Ringinglow, and is believed by the finder to be a V1 gyroscope, despite no reports of V1s in the area.

For some reason, this was our most popular Flickr picture ever. 2250 views as of now...

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III BJ652 coded Z

2010-04-17T09:24:00.004+01:00

Some well-preserved bits of geodetic found earlier in the week on an outing with Welsh Barry near the site of the Smerill Wellington.

Miles Master Mk.III W8474

2010-04-07T20:02:00.021+01:00

A day out with an assortment of air crash site old-timers today, visiting the Broken Ground Liberator as well as this memorial to a fatal training accident (Pat Cunningham gave it a less charitable description) suffered by a Polish pilot.

Location: SJ 99530 95530

For more info, click on the pic for memorial text

Miles Master Mk.III W8474

2010-04-07T20:02:00.020+01:00

A local enthusiast (who incidentally witnessed the crash first-hand) has amassed this collection of scraps from the crash site.

Location: SJ 99772 95326 (crash site)

Consolidated Liberator PB4Y-1 63934 USN

2010-04-07T20:01:00.026+01:00

We were shown where a number of previously buried components of this Liberator were concealed today by the people who had hidden them.

We'd never have found some of them without this help.

This cylinder barrel comes from one of the two engines which were relocated.

Location: SE 00838 01630

Consolidated Liberator PB4Y-1 63934 USN

2010-04-07T20:01:00.025+01:00

The second, more complete engine relocated today was reportedly rolled quite a way downhill by just one man.

Location: 365m from the main wreck site. Is this a record for single-handed engine-rolling?

Consolidated Liberator PB4Y-1 63934 USN

2010-04-07T20:01:00.023+01:00

These undercarriage and nose-wheel components have risen mysteriously out of the peat since our last visit

Location: SE 00872 01595

There is incidentally a second undercarriage leg still buried

Location: SE 00820 01669

More info

Gloster Meteor F Mk.4 RA487

2010-03-31T16:25:00.007+01:00

Another bit of an outing with Pat to the Hagg Side Meteor today showed that the wreckage pile has grown (click on the picture for notation showing which bits are new)

Usually wreckage piles just shrink as the anoraks take bits home, never seen one grow before!

Anyone know what these new bits are, and where they came from?

It has been suggested elsewhere that these have been added to the pile "by curious walkers", but I've been to the site several times before and searched the vicinity from various directions and I've never seen them (or indeed any other substantial scattered bits) before. Apparently they were already there last June.

Location: SK 16579 89040 (supersedes previous, this one is the average of 150 readings)

Avro Anson Mk.XI NL185

2010-03-29T17:34:00.008+01:00

A nip out onto Kinder with Pat today, to look at a number of sites. We found that the engine from this Anson has been moved a fair distance, and fallen into a hole.

It looks from stream-bed damage like it has been rolled to this new position to me, but it isn't definitive. Unless someone wants to own up?

Location:SK 08869 86573

Overexposed search party account

2010-03-26T10:42:00.010Z

I've had a few requests to publish the account I was given of the search party which went up to the "Overexposed" wreck site.

Before downloading the scans of the pages (just click on them), please note that the material is both potentially distressing and liberally salted with profanity.

The quality is equal to what I was given.

I have had correspondence since putting these up of similar looking reports for a couple of Welsh US aircraft wreck sites which turned out to be fakes. I'm firming up on provenance.

New Book

2010-03-03T13:23:00.002Z

Met up with Pat Cunningham today, to discuss his new book amongst other things.

He gave me a copy of a harrowing (and F***-heavy) account by servicemen of the first visit to the crash site of "Overexposed".

I'm in two minds as to whether to put it up on here. Comments?

Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk.IC DV718

2010-02-20T15:21:00.006Z

An outing with Steve and Mick yesterday finally located the main site for the elusive Riggs Moor Wellington on a fine clear snowy day.

Was the snow hiding the majority of the wreckage, or has the site been looted of the huge bits of geodetic which can be seen on Richard Allenby's site?

Location: SE 02109 73392

Snowy Bleaklow

2010-02-18T11:00:00.008Z

A trip up onto Bleaklow on Tuesday in a foot of snow with my six-year-old to the Superfortress found it with no obvious looting.

It was a popular walk, despite closed roads from Buxton to Glossop which prevented plan A, the Sykes Moor Blenheim.

There were another half-dozen people there, who beat me the the site, probably because they weren't accompanied by a little girl.

Airspeed Oxford Mk. I LW903

2010-01-28T19:38:00.006Z

Went out on my own on a way up to a business meeting in Newcastle, trying for two wreck sites on Urra Moor.

Despite a foot of snow on the top and slopes, I found both of them. Nice to have the moors to myself.

The first site was this Oxford, which we missed the last time we were up here, as we were running out of light.

Location: NZ 59662 00948

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Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. V T4171 "O" for Orange

2010-01-28T19:31:00.005Z

Towards the bottom of a slippery slope of packed snow, I found the pictured fractured spark plug and assortment of bits from a Whitley, thought by some to be the first 'plane shot down over the British mainland by a German fighter.

Getting up that hill again was quite a bit trickier than getting down...

Location: NZ 59815 02140

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Snowy Whernside

2010-01-13T11:10:00.005Z

Moustache Steve is pictured during an attempt to visit some sites on Whernside on Monday. It made for a cracking walk, but with a late start due to problems on the roads, after a couple of hours wading through knee-high virgin snow, we considered it best to abandon the attempt.

We'll be back.

Merry Wreckhunting Christmas!

2009-12-21T10:55:00.002Z

From Seán and Mick

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk. II W5365

2009-12-16T19:41:00.006Z

Made a quick side trip today to Tollerton airport and Cotgrave to see the crash site and memorials for Wellington W5365, which stalled on approach and crashed into an oak tree 200m short.

A DFM was awarded to one of the crew, Robert Tomlinson for rescuing the pilot from the burning 'plane.

Location: SK 63057 37057

Avro Lancaster Mk. III NE132

2009-11-23T10:30:00.021Z

This appropriately sombre picture shows the memorial to the crew of Lancaster NE132 at the site of their fatal 6th February 1945 crash.

It lies in the middle of an extensive (but nevertheless hard to find) wreckage trail down the flank of Rhinog Fawr in South Snowdonia, Wales.

It's pretty accessible by high ground wreck site standards, though the 50mph winds and driving rain reduced accessibility a bit for us last Saturday. Without assistance from Matt ZX, we'd undoubtedly have blanked here as we did on our last attempt. The site is a very long way from the High Ground Wrecks coordinates.

This is the only crash site listed as a War Grave in Wales, but this didn't stop someone taking away the only two engines on the site which were not completely shattered around ten years ago.

As we know, wreckologists aren't squeamish about graverobbing, but for whatever reason, the shattered remains of much of the 'plane and two of of the crew are still there on the hillside, rather than gracing some sad anorak's shed.

With the new rules from CADW, they will hopefully now remain undisturbed for years to come.

Location: SH 63736 28879

Avro Lancaster Mk. III NE132

2009-11-23T10:22:00.013Z

This mixture of wreckage and rocks contuinues for several hundred metres. Some details are shown below

0.303 bullets

Propeller Boss

Avro Lancaster Mk. III NE132

2009-11-23T10:21:00.009Z

The bottom of the wreckage trail, where a substantial wall stops the bits falling further down the hill. if you click through to the higher resolution version, you can see the crank from a shattered Merlin engine, as well as armour plate and undercarriage components.

The two stolen engines used to lie here also. Does anyone know who took them?

Location: SH 63720 28916

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Aircraft Wrecks: The Walker's Guide: Historic Crash Sites on the Moors and Mountains of the British Isles

2009-11-14T21:14:00.005Z

We are getting reports of inaccuracies and errors in Clark and Wotherspoon's so-called "Walkers Guide". We don't want to judge prematurely, so are investigating.

Our initial comment is this -walkers (or "bobble-hatted numpties" as Alan Clark likes to call us) don't want a guide which is a big hardback book, contains no walking routes, has only approximate (and perhaps inaccurate) coordinates, and has pages of stuff about what the flight crew had for breakfast.

Surely they want something more like the old "High Ground Wrecks", only more precise and accurate, with GPS verified 6 dp coordinates, and a few words about the circumstances of the crash.

But of course we give you that for nowt. Comments and reports on errors in the "guide" are invited.

Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk.IC DV718

2009-11-08T11:40:00.006Z

A tough 19k in fog and rain brought us precious little of this aircraft which crashed at night in low cloud and rain on Riggs Moor.

The poor visibility around here which did for all but one of the crew of the Wellington has caused us a few problems too. The weather was relatively fine until we came to the search area, and visibility then dropped dramatically, just as it did last time we were here.

We were out of light before we had a chance to complete our search, and had to do a couple of K over cloughs and groughs in the dark, which was a good navigation exercise. We found this lightweight bit, around 400mm square, but I'm pretty sure we were almost 100m from the main site.

The crash site is big, and having been assured it could be seen from 100m (if only you could see that far), we are certain we will get the main site at our next attempt, (especially as I spotted it on Google Earth this morning!)

Location: SE 02205 73365

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Vickers Armstrong Wellington Mk. III BK405

2009-10-22T16:28:00.007+01:00

A bit of an easy walk with Pat Cunningham this afternoon at the Boylestone site of the fatal crash of this Wellington shortly after take-off.

This was the most convincing scrap we found in a reasonably thorough metal detector search, despite a report that the field was so littered with metallic scraps three years ago that you wouldn't need a metal detector to find them.

The magpies have struck again!

Location: SK 20342 35419

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World's End : Flying Whale

2009-10-12T13:51:00.004+01:00

Back to World's End above Wrexham last Saturday for another crack at the numerous wrecksites up there. Matt ZX was with us this time, which often improves our luck.

As last time we saw the "Beluga" which ferries bits of Airbus between factories, but this time we actually found a wreck-site, that which most people think is that of a Beaufighter.

High heather made for tough going, and we had to pack it in after only six hours. We had a good look for the Mustang and Vampire wreck sites in that time, mind. We will return when we have better data.

Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X NE203

2009-10-12T13:46:00.010+01:00

This is what others have shown as the state of the site, a scar with a few scraps. The nearby burial pit has far more stuff, though.

Location: SJ 23924 48274

Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X NE203

2009-10-12T13:45:00.011+01:00

This looks to be a burial pit with signs of recent digging and fresh-looking bits of aluminium. This is where most of the wreckage we saw was located.

Location:SJ 23933 48268

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There are serial numbers on the wreckage as pictured below

also an inspector's stamp

Urra Moor

2009-09-27T12:51:00.005+01:00

A day out above Chop Gate yesterday proved far more successful than our previous outing. As the photo shows, the area is pretty flat in the main, with some deepish gullies containing watercourses.

The High Ground Wrecks coordinates are absolutely rubbish in this area, as so often in Yorkshire, which we proved by finding the actual locations of two or three wreck sites.

The easy ground allowed us to get round the 15k planned, and visit the 6 locations where we though something might be found despite a late start.

We came down in the dark, but there was fair amount of moonlight, so it wasn't the big deal it might have been on a less forgiving bit of high ground, or less favourable weather. I didn't even get my jumper out all day...

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III BJ778 ZL-AD

2009-09-27T12:36:00.009+01:00

All that remains of "A for Apple", (which was one of the most complete crash sites in the country) are these few rusty scraps, with previously molten and corroded scraps of aluminium all around.

Follow the link below to see what happened.

Location: SE 58035 99440

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Bristol Blenheim Mk.1F L1449

2009-09-27T12:34:00.008+01:00

A few scraps which were missed by the multiple waves of looters who have visited the site of this Blenheim crash, found by an attractive waterfall in the pine wood planted since the crash.

Engines used to lie in the stream bed nearby, but we all know how those magpies love an engine.

As ever, no-one seem to know where the stolen parts are now, or exactly who it was who took them away.

Location: SE 60416 99817

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Avro Lancaster Mk. 1 W4233 or Blenheim L1449?

2009-09-27T12:29:00.007+01:00

We found this bit far higher on the hill than the Blenheim remains by the waterfall. It is downhill from the hilltop thought by many to be the crash site of the Lancaster, and a long way uphill from the nearer Blenheim site.

Things tend not to fall uphill, though the flecks of green paint do look to be the same shade as those on the Blenheim bit in the previous pic.

Discarded by a souvenir hunter, or just maybe a bit from the Lancaster missed by the anoraks?

Location:SE 60366 99962

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Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072

2009-09-12T13:20:00.014+01:00

We went to Snowdonia's Y Garn for the third time yesterday, to document the wreckage trail we spied from the top on our last visit to the mountain.

Once you are in the right Cwm (Cywion), there are fragments everywhere, far more numerous and more sizeable than are suggested by other internet writers.

The right way up was such an easy walk compared with the wrong ways tried previously that we had time to try out the famous Pete's Eats in Llanberis afterwards-not bad at all. Big portions, if a bit pricey.

This undercarriage strut (around 1.5m long) is one of the three originally used in the Marauder's tricycle undercarriage. There is reportedly a second leg like this still at the site, but the third seems to have gone missing.

This one lies quite a short distance from the stream bed where much of the rest of the wreckage is to be found, but is not as visually obvious as the rest of the parts from ground level.

Location: SH 63149 60150

Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072

2009-09-12T12:56:00.005+01:00

This collection of parts we found by the side of the stream is clustered around a steel component around 500mm long. They are too mangled for accurate identification.

Location: SH 63146 60301

Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072

2009-09-12T12:48:00.007+01:00

At the top of the stream we found these fairly sizeable components, which used to support the undercarriage leg seen in the post above, according to the Aero Part Identify Board posters.

Location: SH 63112 60187

Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072

2009-09-12T12:41:00.010+01:00

These bits of armour plate were the highest fragments of any size we found. We are told they come from the crew's seats.

Other internet sites claim that only a few scraps of armour plate remain, but that is clearly not the case, as we have shown in this series of posts, which themselves only show perhaps 25% of what is there.

What happened to the remainder? We have little to add to David Earl's account.

Location: SH 63095 60149

Diggers Thwarted in Wales

2009-08-24T13:14:00.008+01:00

New CADW guidelines (ISBN 978 1 85760 267 8) set out a rigorous code of best practice which should see the archaeologically worthless activities of the so-called "aviation archaeologists" pretty much stopped in Wales. Nice work, CADW!

The guidelines basically require excavation to be carried out in a professional manner, in accordance with the archaeologist's code of conduct, standard and guidance for archaeological excavation.

JBCs will not be featuring in future excavations.

They also intend to enforce preservation in-situ of nationally important sites, and the scheduling of crash sites as ancient monuments.

Amateur hour is over, boyos! And not a moment too soon.

Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside

2009-08-22T13:37:00.004+01:00

Up onto yet another Whernside in Yorkshire, this one above the Ribblehead Viaduct (pictured). Interesting weather and light throughout the day, Mick got some good snaps.

A relatively easy walk, only 12k and not too much ascent to see a couple of WWII wreck sites. What with having had swine flu and so on, we weren't up for a mad yomp. Nice walk, and down in time for tea for once.

Despite High Ground Wrecks being as rubbish as ever in Yorkshire, we found both sites we were going for. I hadn't realised how much these two sites had been picked over by wreckologists until I did the post-walk research. Sad. But then they are sad.

Fairey Barracuda Mk.II DR306

2009-08-22T12:22:00.010+01:00

What appear to be wing/ hardpoint components from this Barracuda torpedo bomber which crashed into Whernside on 15th December 1945.

There apparently used to be a big chunk of wing here, but it was probably stolen by the "York Aircraft Preservation Society".

What a fantastic name for an organisation which destroys wreck sites, it's worthy of George Orwell's 1984.

Of course like all of these loose associations of saddoes it has disbanded in time, and its stolen "treasures" have gone missing, who knows where.

Those imagined museums never come to fruition quite as you hoped, do they lads? Maybe a few pointless bits of tangled metal are collected in some unvisited Nissen hut somewhere, but more usually items (all too often stolen from war graves) are collected simply to be thrown out by your parents for those few of you who go on to get a life.

Don't imagine I'm implying that all involved are of school age, just that they probably live with their parents. And need to get a life.

Location SD 74201 80331

Fairey Barracuda Mk.II DR306

2009-08-22T12:11:00.008+01:00

A drystone wall "repaired" with bits of torpedo bomber. Click on pic to zoom in if you can't see it.

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion that this is supposed to be a wall repair.

It just looks like the standard farmer's trick of throwing bits of aircraft wreckage to the edge of the field to me.

Two reasons why I don't think it is a repair-there's no hole in the wall, and in the National Park farmers get paid to repair dry stone walls properly.

In National Parks farmers are more like caretakers, really.

Location:SD 74246 80387

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk III BK347 Coded Q

2009-08-22T10:13:00.008+01:00

You missed a bit, anoraks! A lonely fragment of the eight and a half tonnes of bomber which crashed into the hillside on 21st April 1944 whilst on a cross country flight from Hixon.

There are closer shots of it over on the flickr site, I just liked way the sky looks in this one.

This may well be all that is now left above ground at the site, as it has been been serially looted since then by "enthusiasts", many of who amusingly refer to themselves collectively as "Preservation Societies", as discussed previously.

No-one outside the world of "aviation archaeology" knows where the rest of this 'plane is, and even in that world, no-one is telling.

Location: SD 74157 81562

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Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. V T4136

2009-08-19T10:37:00.017+01:00

Some "Aviation Enthusiasts" nearly came a cropper here.

The bomb was found in the bucket of their JCB, according to The Independent, so obviously good archaeological practice was (as ever for wreckologists) not the No. 1 priority!

I am led to believe Eliott Smock of "The Whitley Project" was the digger in question. Perhaps he would have been better to leave well alone.

He has said since the original date of the posting that he makes no claim to be an archaeologist, and is just digging to get parts to attempt to make a museum piece.

It's nice that he does not have the common delusions of grandeur, but even if you are a house-builder, wouldn't it be better to allow professional archaeologists to make the maximum possible use of your dig site?

If you are going to drive a digger through a crash site, you will irreversibly destroy the archaeological evidence.

Why not follow the new CADW guidelines, even if you are not required to do so by law?

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Location SE 889 818

DeHavilland Vampire FB5 VZ106

2009-08-01T14:27:00.012+01:00

The main pile of the still-extensive wreckage from this early jet-powered Fighter/Bomber which crashed on the slopes of Fan Hir, in the Black Mountains in Wales in 1953.

The pilot apparently let down through thick cloud without getting a fix on his position or requesting a radar-controlled descent, resulting in his death.

The wreckage constituted a more or less complete aircraft until 1986, since when the usual suspects have taken it upon themselves to "recover" some of it.

Location: SN 82641 20037

(There are also some big chunks of wreckage in a nearby gully around SN 8258 1990)

DeHavilland Vampire FB5 VZ106

2009-08-01T14:19:00.005+01:00

The Vampire's distinctive twin booms are well preserved at this site

DeHavilland Vampire FB5 VZ106

2009-08-01T14:18:00.009+01:00

The Goblin 2 turbojet engine from the aircraft is still in place, rather than serving as a garage ornament for some sad anorak as so many engines now do.

Location: SN 82641 20047

Avro Anson Mk. 1 L9149

2009-08-01T14:08:00.013+01:00

Second 'plane of the day. More or less all that remains of this Anson which became disorientated and crashed in thick cloud and rain on Fan Brycheiniog in January 1939 are these globs of formerly molten aluminium and rusty scraps of steel.

There is a memorial to this crash and the associated rescue operation at the church in Glyntawe, at the foot of these hills, as previously featured on our site

Location: SN 82499 21249

Avro Anson Mk. I EG472

2009-07-11T12:55:00.012+01:00

Avro Anson EG472
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

We approached Moel Hebog from a new direction yesterday, resulting in our locating the undercarriage, wheels, fuel tank and other less recognisable wreckage left by the crash of Anson EG472 into the mountain, (and of course the subsequent raiding by local "aviation archaeologists" for their mickey mouse "museum").

It wasn't as easy as we expected, as chest-high bracken which didn't show on the map impeded our progress up the steepest part of the hill.

The picture shows a detail from the undercarriage winding gear of Avro Anson EG472 of 9 OAFU Llandwrog which crashed on the 13th of June 1944 into Moel Hebog (above Beddgelert in Snowdonia).

The 'plane reportedly flew into the North face of the mountain in low cloud and bad visibility on a night navigation exercise.

Turbulence was experienced at 6,000 ft and the Bombardier asked the pilot if he could descend to a calmer altitude.

The Navigator stated they were over Hawarden so the descent was made and the aircraft struck the mountain. One Sgt. Howard was thrown clear and survived, but the other four crew were all killed in the crash.

We don't normally bother with crash report details on here, but there's nothing on the internet about the circumstances of this crash at present.

Location: SH 56890 46948

Grumman Avenger Mk.II JZ390

2009-07-05T14:46:00.009+01:00

Wast Water Avenger
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

On the rock in the foreground is a scrap of the Royal Navy Air Service Grumman Avenger ship-borne torpedo bomber which flew into a cliff on the 16th January 1945, on a training flight from RNAS Inskip in Lancashire.

The 'plane's engine is allegedly in the lake shown in the background (Wast Water at the foot of Sca Fell in the Lake District).

Eeh, Mick's new camera takes an atmospheric picture...

Location: NY 14648 03913

Countryfile

2009-06-29T14:20:00.022+01:00

Countryfile's article on the peak plane wreck sites may have been the cause of the massive spike in visitor numbers to the site over the weekend.

At least they sent out a competent presenter guided by a local MRT volunteer to the Shelf Stones Superfortress site, rather than the clueless floppy-haired double act possibility: Ben Fogle and Alan Clark. Imagine that if you will.

Oh dear-here's that Mountain Rescue Team volunteer leading his colleagues in the "recovery" from the site of what is described as a gun turret, previously hidden by kids back in 1948.

I'd be interested to know whether they had a licence from the MOD for the operation. If they have, we could have told them where there was one in much better condition.

Boeing B-17 G Flying Fortress 44-8683

2009-06-27T19:14:00.005+01:00

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 44-8683
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

A long trek over boggy terrain above Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales yesterday yielded only one confirmed site, this collection of scraps from a Flying Fortress crashed in cloud in May 1945.

Location:SE 00053 72764

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Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I X4588

2009-06-20T11:44:00.012+01:00

Supermarine Spitfire X4588
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

A day out in the Brecon Beacons yesterday located the crash site of Spitfire X4588, fatally crashed by Sgt. D P Carruthers during a formation flying exercise in May 1942 probably as a result of a combination of bad weather and a slight navigation error.

The efforts of the local National Park staff in the Brecons to prevent the activities of magpies (as previously reported) are probably the reason for this being our most extensive Spitfire wreckage visited to date.

Location: SO 01677 18458

Snowdon Revisit

2009-05-30T13:18:00.007+01:00

Sean and Matt with 'Copter
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

A hot day on Snowdon yesterday. Imagine that.

Helicopters were all over keeping an eye on things, and in the case of the Sea King seen near the summit, presumably taking part in a rescue exercise. This littler one ( top right of frame) went back and forth up and down Cwm Llan for the better part of an hour.

We found the rest of the DH Mosquito we missed last time, as well as the scant remains of the Spitfire on Yr Aran, with the assistance of Matt ZX.

Now we have found it, we can reveal that you won't need our coordinates to find the Mosquito wreckage. Just follow the river, you can't miss it, throughout the stream bed, and around its banks.

The Spitfire is more elusive, and on steep unstable ground above a good drop. Even that has not prevented fresh looting, however, as we report lower down the page.

On a technical note, all pics are now taken with Micks' new camera, and have much better resolution than previously if you click through...

De Havilland Mosquito Mk.III TV982

2009-05-30T13:17:00.004+01:00

De Havilland Mosquito Mk.III TV982
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Propeller boss

Location: SH 61048 52930

De Havilland Mosquito Mk.III TV982

2009-05-30T13:15:00.004+01:00

De Havilland Mosquito Mk.III TV982
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Detail from collection further upstream

Location: SH 61085 52982