Afon Goch Waterfall: Llwytmor

Afon Goch Waterfall
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

A day out on Llwytmor yesterday, in windy, changeable weather crossed a few elusive items off our list.

The Heinkel and both Botha engines were located, in fact we found too many big bits of Botha to put them all on here.

Hardcore anoraks can see them all on the Flickr site (until I replace them with something new).

Photography is not as good as usual this week, I'm afraid, having to use the mobile, as Mick's camera is out of commission. Normal service will be resumed when he gets a new CCD.

For good or ill, this means more pictures of Mick than usual, as I'm the one with the camera for once...

Heinkel He-111 F4801/IT+EL

Heinkel F4801/IT+EL: Lllwytmor
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

The Heinkel wreck site, found at the third attempt with assistance from Rob TT. As well as the big bits at Mick's feet, there's a lot of molten scattered stuff mixed in with small rocks, as commonly seen at burn-out sites.

There's not much about the 'plane on the 'net, so I'll put a bit of history in for once:

It was a Heinkel 111 of 3/KG28. The plane had been on a bombing run over the docks at Barrow in Furness where it was believed the “Illustrious “ was being repaired. Anti-aircraft guns hit the plane, taking out the radio and compass.

The damaged plane then flew into the side of Llwytmor killing the engineer on 14th April 1941. The remainder of the crew survived the crash and were sent to POW camps in Canada.

Location: SH 68683 69747

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Blackburn Botha Mk.I L6202 coded 6-20

Blackburn Botha L6202: Llwytmor
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

The highest, and most commonly found engine from this Botha, which crashed on Llwytmor on the 28th August 1943 while on a training flight from Hooton Park near Ellesmere Port.

There is plenty more wreckage all over the hillside in the vicinity of this engine, which is located very close to the aircraft's impact site.

Location: SH 68378 69129

Blackburn Botha Mk.I L6202 coded 6-20

Blackburn Botha L6202: Llwytmor
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

The elusive second engine from the Botha below the waterfall on Afon Goch.

This is 570m from the other, more commonly photographed one stuck in the crack in the rocks, and is the only picture of this lower engine on the 'net. Others say they have seen it, but as so often the case in the world of "wreckology", they offer no proof.

Location: SH 67810 69131

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Aran Fawddwy and Creiglyn Dyfi

Aran Fawddwy and Creiglyn Dyfi
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

A day out with Matt ZX yesterday to look at the much pillaged wreck sites of the Beaufighter and Thunderbolt above Creiglyn Dyfi, at the foot of Aran Fawddwy.

This photo doesn't really do justice to the scale of the scenery, or how bright the day was, but both Mick and Matt took some good photos on the day. The Thunderbolt photos on here are from Matt, as Mick's camera packed up. Cheers Matt!

It was a really nice day for a walk, and all bits were found without resorting to the GPS for navigation. Locations were however marked with the GPSr, in the interests of accuracy.

I could go on at some length about the serial looting of these two sites by "farmers", wreckologists, and other magpies, despite no licence to excavate ever being granted AFAIK. I'm not sure however whether I will bother.

Perhaps someone would like to offer comments on just how badly and pointlessly these sites have been illegally cleared?

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Highest "oleo strut" undercarriage component found within the gully above the buttress

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Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Some of the extensive wreckage around the impact site.

Location SH 86409 22595

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Lowest oleo strut just below the buttress

Location: SH 86454 22590

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Serial numbers for those who like 'em: "91014-B"

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

The lowest undercarriage component we found. A little reminiscent of the Blenheim bits on Electric Mountain.

Location: SH 86537 22642

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Armour plate and skinning towards the bottom of the wreckage trail

Location: SH 86686 22763

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD210

Beaufighter TF.X RD210
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

The lowest bit of Beaufighter wreckage we found

Location: SH 86686 22763

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

P 47 Thunderbolt 41-6246 Creiglyn Dyfi
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

Identifying stamps and serial numbers ("961031-A") showing that this is from the Thunderbolt wreck (though this is disputed- follow the link if you want to join in), rather than from the nearby Beaufighter .

This is from the largest collection of bits found, down by the side of the lake.

There is definitely more we did not find, as we were led astray by the next find. We will (as ever) be back to finish up.

Location: SH 86670 22403

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

P 47 Thunderbolt 41-6246 Creiglyn Dyfi
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

This fragment of a "Warner Aircraft Corp." brake control unit from the 1944 fatal crash site of this USAF Thunderbolt turned out to be a bit of a red herring.

Finding it high on the hill as we did convinced us we had found a rather sparse wreckage trail, rather than the very edge of the scatter.

Even more confusingly, we found a bit of Mosquito mixed in with this "wreckage trail"

It has been suggested that this is the last labelled part at any high ground wreck site in the UK not already nicked by the magpies. On your marks, lads...

Location: SH 86524 22379

Google Earth

Just to note that I have now finally done the GE overlay giving locations for all Peak District sites with physical evidence remaining, which you can download here.

Kinder Six

Handley Page Heyford Mk.III K6875
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

Out onto Kinder yesterday to look at a few wrecks as a map and compass navex with Moustache Steve.

Over ten muddy miles, we revisited the Halifax and Wellington by Ringing Roger, the Wellington above Grindsbrook Clough, the Anson and Dragon Rapide on Edale Moor, and the Heyford on Broadlee Bank Tor. A little digging was evident at this last site, and the memorial cross had disappeared (illustrated above) .

There was also a bit of of artistic rearrangement at the Dragon Rapide (below).


De Havilland Dragon Rapide G-ALBC
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

Other than that, all was well with the sites we visited.

An interesting thing happened out on Edale Moor-both GPS units started reading consistently about 1km out. This was the first time I have been convinced that GPS units were wrong based on my map and compass navigation. Might have been something to do with the thick hail clouds above us.

It's a scary thing being out there in the middle of Kinder if you are not 100% sure where you are!

Anson Mk. 1 L9149 Memorial; Glyntawe, Brecon Beacons

Anson Memorial
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

In the churchyard in Glyntawe, this memorial was erected to commemorate the 1939 crash of Anson L9149, and to thank those who took part in the rescue operation.

Though the military personnel on board perished, two civilian passengers survived. We'll give more info on this crash when we have visited the site.

We just visited this because it was close to where we parked, before setting out for a 10 mile circular walk on Black Mountain, to pick up a couple of Wellington wreck sites, and practice navigation in unfamiliar surroundings.

We liked the Brecon Beacons and we'll be back, but it's a long drive from Derbyshire, it made for an eighteen hour day. We won't be doing it every week!

Location: SN 84956 16920

Armstrong Vickers Wellington BJ697

Wellington BJ697
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

All that is left at the September 1942 crash site of the Wellington from 12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden. No sign of the exploded ammo reported by others. Souvenir hunters!

"GPSWalker" unusually gave the the most accurate position for this site, prior to ours:

Location: SN 83250 18390

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk 10 MF509

Wellington MF509
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

The extensive remains of this RCAF Wellington on Carreg Goch, Black Mountain, Brecon Beacons, with memorial in the foreground.

A little documentary video can be seen at the link below. Nice that the National Park staff coordinated opposition to it being taken away to someone's garden in Preston, rather than colluding in it, as we are told they did in Snowdonia.

Location: SN 81618 16921

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