Douglas Boston Mk.III Z2186

havoc
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Close to a location given in in this list for a bit of the Boston wreck (compiled we are told by the muppets who attempted to clear Snowdonia of plane wreckage) we found these fragments of aircraft wreckage. We think that they are therefore most likely from the Boston.

The only planes which crashed on this mountain which we can definitely rule out however are the Cessna and the Lincoln, as one of the bits here is a fired (not heat discharged) 0.303 cartridge. Lincolns have 0.50 calibre guns, and the Cessna was unarmed.

The photo is not clear on this, but the riveted component to the right of the cartridge was painted olive drab.

Location: SH 66552 63760

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk. IV DV800

pile with slate
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Someone has created a wreckage pile with cairn and plaque here, near to the coordinates we have for the crash of Wellington DV800. Unfortunately he seems to have written his plaque in tippex. We can see no mention in what is legible of Wellington DV800, and we were not sure initially that this looked like Wellington wreckage.

We would have expected to see a bit of geodetic, but we have had the part numbers from a component in the pile confirmed as Wellington IV, so I suppose that settles it.

Location: SH 67583 63542

well 1
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

There is a wreckage trail from the collection above down the banks and bed of Nant Y Graig. We cannot say if the black-painted sheet aluminium wreckage in that trail as illustrated here belongs with this collection, but we cannot think what else it might be.

Location:SH 67243 63603

More info-none on the 'net as of writing

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk. IV DV800

stamps
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This is a detail of the only marks we could find on any component in the wreckage pile featured above. There are two inspection stamps, and two numbers to be seen if you look carefully. We have had these confirmed as Wellington IV part numbers here.

Alan Clark of PDAAR challenges the views of this informant, and says all Wellingtons have such numbers. We don't know, and frankly can't be bothered to enter the debate. We may be anoraks, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

Avro Lincoln RF511

last wheel
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This is the lowest recognisable bit of the Avro Lincoln which crashed on the slopes of Llewellyn in Snowdonia on 15th March 1950, There is plenty more as you ascend the bed of Nant Fach, as the photos to follow show. The engines mentioned in this list are however not in evidence.

In the Peak District, a site with this much large wreckage would be quite well known. We can however find no real mention of the wreck anywhere on the 'net. Welsh wreckhunting seems not as popular as elsewhere. The site does however feature in "Hell on High Ground".

Location: SH 67598 63908

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Avro Lincoln RF511

volute
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This looks like a pump or compressor casing to me, but that might be because I am the wrong sort of engineer.

It has since been suggested by blog comments that they are blowers from the Merlin Engines' superchargers. Close enough.

There were a couple of these in the stream bed.

I think this is the one at : SH 67833 63878

Avro Lincoln RF511

lincfus
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This fuselage section is the lowest really big bit of the plane in the stream bed.

Location: SH 67734 63899

Avro Lincoln RF511

Lincoln
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This wing section is painted with brown and green camouflage paint on its top side, which is unfortunately extensively removed by walkers scratching their names into it. There is all sorts of large debris surrounding this location, both in the stream bed, and further afield.

Location: SH 67849 63860

Avro Lincoln RF511

gear
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This gear reminds me of a bit at the Tintwistle Knarr Lancaster site. The Lincoln Mk. 1 was initially known as the Lancaster Mk. 4, so there is a close relationship between the 'planes.

Location: SH 67915 63811

Avro Lincoln RF511

undercarriage
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This undercarriage is the highest big bit of the plane

Location: SH 67998 63769

Avro Lincoln RF511

plaque
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This plaque more or less exactly marks the topmost extent of the wreckage trail.

Location: SH 67992 63776

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.1C R1538

Wellington Crash Site
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This memorial marks the exact spot where this Wellington Bomber crashed in 1943, killing two and injuring three of those on board.

We found a few scraps in the surrounding well-harrowed fields, but we understand that although aluminium is regularly turned up by the farmer, the area has been well picked over by enthusiasts...

Location:SJ 95143 45878

More info: none available online, seems this is the only mention of this site on the 'net.

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V Z9189

We found a glob of formerly molten aluminium, and a flake a bit less less heat distorted at the crash site of this Whitley which had a short, unsuccessful flight from the nearby Darley Moor airfield.

The ground here is full of aluminium, and the greenish corrosion which often accompanies it at crash sites.

Pat Cunningham's coordinates were unusually far out here, enough to put you in the wrong field, and on the wrong side of the road. Luckily the urbane Mr. Basile, (owner of the relevant land), happened by on horseback and was able to give a few pointers.

Location:SK 17754 42867

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Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V EB338

Whitley Crash site
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This Whitley crashed just over the wall from the Tissington Trail. A bit of corroded steel found on the surface, with many more bits detected underground.

Location: SK 15033 55671

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Hawker Hurricane Mk.I V6793

Hurricane Crash Site
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Someone has been doing some serious, metal-detector assisted digging in and around the crater left by this Hurricane on Fleet Green. This smallish stuff left by the side of the crater looks like the things they found too uninteresting to take away to us...

Location: SK 04742 61315

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Boeing RB-29A Superfortress 44-61999

Took my brother and his kids out to the Superfortress yesterday. Had to turn back, as it started snowing heavily, and they were not as well clothed as might be desired. I noted however that the gun well/crawl tunnel previously recorded was nowhere near where it was at my last visit. If someone has indeed moved it, I hope that it is in the direction of the main wreck site.

Location: Unknown-hopefully not in someone's garage "museum"

Mystery bit: Ffynnon Lloer

Plastic:Daffydd
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This bit of old, encrusted, stiff plastic, about the size of a mudflap was found underwater in a pool by the side of the lake, along with a short section of pipe of similar material. 500m lower, you would think this was part of a car, but this is a long way away from driving territory.

With the various wrecks in the area, hard to know which if any it might have come from, and what it might be. It was closest to the Anson site, if that means anything.

Location:SH 66051 62136

Reims Cessna 310 F G-ARMK or Douglas Boston Mk.III Z2186?

Havoc/Boston:Pen yr Oleu wen
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

We had a visit to Snowdonia yesterday, not to the best wreck sites there, but to satisfy Mick's desire to climb some bigger hills. These are from the third biggest hill in Wales, so he was reasonably satisfied.

This first wreck site matches descriptions of that of an A20 Havoc/Boston which was reportedly cleared by the National Park Authority, but this reasonably sizeable component remaining on Pen yr Oleu wen does not look like the engine mounting from a Havoc that our source led us to expect.

The item photographed is marked with three numbers: 538488;2 and 8-31-61, if that helps anyone to know what it is. Comments by Alan Clark below support my suspicion that this is a flat-6 engine crank case, rather than an engine mounting. Such a crank case would be similar to that in the Continental IO-470-D engines to be found in a Cessna 310 F. All of the crash sites we have recorded in the area are for radial engined craft. Cessna 310 F G-ARMK did reportedly crash "near Bethesda" in 1968.

Snow hampered our search, but we visited four sites reportedly previously marked by substantial wreckage from this Havoc, with no finds other than this, and an odd bit of plastic, which I will post later..

Location:SH 66645 62266

More info:Boston

More info:Cessna

Avro Anson Mk. 1 N9855

Anson :Dafydd
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Wreckage of this Anson N9855 which crashed on Pen yr Ole Wen on 8/11/43. It was from No 3 (O)AFU at Halfpenny Green. The undercarriage which forms the bulk of the wreckage pile was the Anson's most distinctive feature, requiring 160 turns of a crank handle for the pilot to lower and retract. Hence the plane was often flown with its gear extended, giving a slight speed reduction.

At least one engine from the site is in the Midland Warplane Museum.

Location: SH 66027 62112

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington T. Mk.10 MF627

Wellington:Ughill
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

A scrap of copper from the wreck of this Wellington near Ughill.

Location: SK 26395 89265

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DeHavilland Vampire T. Mk.11 XE866

Vampire: Stanage Edge
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Lots of bits from the crash site of this Vampire on Stanage Edge. One is marked with the part number: Z27166/1. The site is a long way from the coordinates given in Ron Collier's book.

Location: SK 22429 85704

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Douglas Dakota G-AHCY BEA

Dakota: Chew
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

As Mick blogged, the impact site of the DC3 G-AHCY formerly known as C-47A-20-DK 42-92543 and KG348 was confirmed the week before last as SE 01509 02433

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