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?
6 comments:
yes, concidering there were machine guns photographed,late 60s/early 70s,by the fin of the p47,in a copy of after the battle magazine,which is probably why there is sod all left????.
regards
ade
After The Battle magazine has a lot to do with it.They published a photo of the fin with serial number visible and a bent machine gun from the P47 around 1975,as well a feature on "crash country",the Black Ladders area,listing with maps and co-ordinates of all the sites there.Not surprising there is sod all left on the Aran
After The Battle magazine has a lot to do with it.They published a photo of the fin with serial number visible and a bent machine gun from the P47 around 1975,as well a feature on "crash country",the Black Ladders area,listing with maps and co-ordinates of all the sites there.Not surprising there is sod all left on the Aran
Alright, Ade, we heard you the first time!
We hear the "publishing co-ords encourages looters" argument a lot, as I'm sure we must have discussed on that day around Bewdley. How can it be squared with fact that the Brecons National Park used their sites as tourist attractions, and have some of the most complete wrecksites?
These sites were mostly stripped by locals.
Perhaps I can add some information on the fate of some of the wreckage from these sites.I would not say the After The Battle article prompted the removal of wreckage,two guns,the rudder and other parts were taken from the P47 by a so called aviation archaeology group from Macclesfield in the late 70's,supposedly for their museum which no longer exists,the same group returned to the sites in the late 80's and took more parts from the P47 and Beaufighter.
The engines and props from the Beaufighter were taken in around 1996 by a collector who lives near the site,he did not have an MOD licence.
Both engines from the Mosquito were removed on 24.9.1983 by the Snowdonia National Park at the request on the now defunct "Snowdonia Aviation Historic Group",one was turned into a crude memorial and is set in concrete near a farm at the foot of the mountain,the other was broken up by a member of SAHG and the parts are still in his garage in Dolgellau. The one remaining prop on the Mosquito site appears to have been removed within the last few years,again without MOD permission being granted.
It is a great shame that these sites where so many brave men perished are not treated with the respect they deserve are are instead looted for the personal gratification of a few so called collectors,aviation archaeologists or whatever these grave robbers call themselves in a pathetic attemp to justify their actions.
Thanks for that, Dravot.
Post a Comment