Lockheed Lightning P38G 42-13345/F5E 44-24229

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

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Avro Lancaster Mk. III NE132

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

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

A day out with Matt ZX yesterday on foggy Arenig Fawr looking at the crash site of a Flying Fortress. We found far more wreckage than expected, trailling 300m down the slope in a suspiciously straight line which Matt thought might be the path taken by the recovery team.

Theres' not really much on the 'net about this site, but the link below gives a precis of the circumstances of the crash, and a pic of the crew..

Location: SH 82430 37069 to SH 82649 36942

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Arenig Fawr: Flying Fortress B-17F 42-3134

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

The memorial with small crash debris in front, adjacent to the trig. point.

This memorial appears identical to that which was reportedly fixed to the wall of the Town Hall.

Was it moved up here, or are there two of them?

Location: SH 82703 36949

Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F 42-3134

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

Memorial Detail: compare this with this photo of the one on the Old Town Hall. Is this the same memorial stone?

Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F 42-3134

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

Formerly molten aluminium from the crash scar at the summit of Arenig Fawr

Location: SH 82649 36942

Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F 42-3134

Flying Fortress: Arenig Fawr
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

A collection of fair-sized bits further down the hill. Our Flickr site shows lots of other bits we found all the way up to the crash site and memorial. Too many and too small to blog them all.

Location: SH 82565 37052

Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F 42-3134 Memorial: Bala

Fortress B-17F 42-3134 Memorial: Bala
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

Those who fixed the commemorative plaque to the crew of the Fortress crashed on Arenig Fawr on the Old Town Hall in Bala may not have foreseen its conversion into a Chinese restaurant.

The hoardings unfortunately stopped us seeing if the plaque is still there.

We visited this as a convenient stop-off 50 yards from a cafe where I had an excellent fry-up.

The days' main targets were another Fortress with some controversy as to its identity, and a Lancaster (NE132) which was supposed to be easy to find by virtue of being in quite big bits.

Got the Fortress but not the Lanc. We now understand (from MattZX) that we missed the Lancaster because the High Ground Wrecks coordinates are unusually inaccurate at the site.

Nice walking though, for once dryer and sunnier in Wales than in Derbyshire.

As ever, we'll be back with more info to find the ones we missed on the first pass.

Location: SH 92615 35974

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