Still In Business

We are still going out, though as we haven't done any new sites for a while, I don't bother posting anything. All any pictures would show is the gradual erosion of wreckage at the sites, and its replacement with a proliferation of signs, crosses and poppies, even at sites where there were no deaths. Some of the outings can be seen at MatZX's site here.  I'm planning on starting to visit some new sites soon, lockdown permitting...

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV Z5870

Crowden Brook
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Further to some recent correspondence, we decided to search up from Crowden Brook towards what is believed by some to be the terminal site of this still unlocated Blenheim Bomber crash.

Like all others we are aware of, we failed to find any trace of the 'plane on the mountain.

On the other hand, we did get to be overtaken by little old ladies (amongst many others) on what seemed to be the most well-trafficked route up Kinder we have yet been on.

Location:TBC

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Reims Cessna F.150M G-BFRP

Cessna: Kinder
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

After the Wellington Memorial we started the day's job of revisiting sites where we had received enough additional information since our last visit to be fairly confident of clearing them.

This is a view down the gully where the Cessna crashed on Broadlee Bank Tor, above Edale.

Whilst we are happy we have found the site ( a fair bit up the gully from the photo location) by photo-matching, metal detection showed there to be not a scrap of tin left at the site.

We don't want our site to degenerate to the state of some others on the 'net where we take a picture from half a mile away of a field and claim to have identified the site, but this pic will help you find the site if you are looking, and we really cannot find any physical evidence at this site.

This was the last remaining site on Kinder which we considered to have a good chance of definitively locating without in-depth research.

Location:SK 11375 86122

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Airspeed Oxford Mk.I R6271

Oxford: Waterhouses
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

Our second visit to the Waterhouses crash site of this Oxford yielded this scrap of debris.

Access to the site was facilitated by the river being unexpectedly completely dry.

Pat Cunningham's information is a bit poor at this site, probably for the main reason we had such difficulty locating it: the trees on the steep bank block the GPS signal pretty effectively.

His given coordinates are for example 50m below his given elevation data, and on the wrong side of the river.

Our location info at this site is at least on the right side of the river, but it will not be as accurate as usual, maybe +/- 50 ft.

Location:SK 09323 50138

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Blackburn Botha W5103

Botha
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

The Botha wreckage was just where we left it in May last year, and looked just the same too. Our co-ords are also good.

Location:SK 11077 97532

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I N3378

Defiant
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

The remains of this Defiant on Bleaklow appear all to still be intact, despite our publishing the coordinates of the site almost a year ago on here.

The dire warnings that publishing coordinates will result in sites being looted we have been receiving from wreckologists appear groundless.

But of course we knew that. It is the aircraft nuts who are taking bits, and they know where the sites are. What would walkers want a bit of old scrap metal for?

Uttoxeter Crash Site

Brookend
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
We walked the banks of the River Dove near Uttoxeter between Crakemarsh and Combridge, where we had previously heard there was due to be a wreck site excavation around now.

No sign of anything, though the bridges and footpaths in the area were pretty comprehensively blocked, so we couldn't follow our planned search route. This is apparently all too common in Staffs. We will be having a word with their rights of way complaints department.

We do not know the identity of the aircraft. We have found reports of many 'planes crashed in this general area, but none close to the given location.

Alan Clark says he knows the identity of the plane but would rather not say. He tells us that several previous requests to "recover" the wreck have been refused by the landowner, and that none of the usual suspects are admitting involvement in the dig. Even more secrecy than usual. And as ever, a certain amount of ner ner ner ner ner.

Approximate location:SK 100 370

Peak District Wrecks

A bit of a run around this week, clearing up some minor sites in the Peak District. We think we have definitely got to the 100 best sites in the Peak now, and will probably produce a summary sheet-coming soonish.

Back to Wales next week for some more impressive wrecks, unless the weather is really rubbish, in which case, another buzz around the last few sites in the peak with physical evidence to be expected, or a revisit of some sites where we have blanked in the past.

We are never going to get round to visiting fields in which there were forced landings, grave sites of aircrews, or that sort of thing. Life is too short.

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV T1884

Blenheim
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Other visitors to this site have reported a number of items which allowed clear identification of this as a Blenheim crash site. Perhaps they took them away with them, as this old and none-too- convincing bolt was as good as it got for us, though there was a cluster of strong signals about 10m from this location which we didn't investigate.

Location: SJ 98118 96493

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North American P-51D Mustang 44-64084

Mustang
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Bits of this Mustang which was part of the same ill-fated flight of twelve 'planes as Mustang 44-72181, which we visited earlier.

Others have reported no visible wreckage at the location, but a close search showed quite a bit of small surface wreckage like this.

Location: SK 02617 91379

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III DF611 coded W

Wellington: Scraps A515
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Proved the site of the crash of this Wellington next to the A515 near Newhaven. 30 yards behind the bodged wall shown in the pic of our first attempt, the ground is apparently full of metal scraps like these.

Location:SK 15671 61630

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Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV V6078

Blenheim: Scrap 2
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

One of a couple of unexciting scraps found at the site of the 1943 crash of this Blenheim near Matlock.

Location:SK 34310 66231

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Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III BJ652 coded Z

Wellington BJ652
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Second of two marked scraps found at the impact site of the Wellington. Apparently the 285 in the second line of the serial numbers indicates a Mark IV Wellington, not a Mark III, though this view has been challenged by PDAAR. We dunno.

Location: SK 19953 62077

Armstrong Vickers Wellington Mk.III BJ652 coded Z

Wellington: Bomb Release and Cover
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

This item identified as a bomb release and cover by posters on the Aero Part Identify Board as being from the Smerrill Wellington would have been our best find of the day, if it were indeed part of the 'plane.

Location: Quite a distance from the impact site...

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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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Avro Tutor K3308

Tutor: Mill Cottages
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Here's the alleged touchdown area for the Avro Tutor which went on to crash into the trees in the background of the shot. Or be deliberately and skilfully arrested by them, depending on whether you believe the pilot's account or not.

We found no definitive sign of the event, but we did bump into some present day occupants of the mill where the road-mender witness quoted in Peakland Air Crashes lived. This mill can be glimpsed behind the trees. It seems unlikely that any road-menders (other than perhaps Sir Robert McAlpine) live there now. Gentrification, eh?

Location: TBA when we find evidence

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Reims Cessna F.150M G-BFRP

Cessna
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

A day of unusual lack of success yesterday. Here's me failing to find any part of the Cessna which crashed on the side of Broadlee Bank Tor above Edale. We will revisit, with new information received since.

Location: TBA when we find physical evidence

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English Electric Canberra B. Mk.6 WT207

IMG_0026
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Second time lucky, we found these bits of the Canberra which exploded at high altitude whilst carrying out trials of an experimental rocket engine.

The marked bits have an inspection stamp which says OWL 6, and what seems to be a part number, D 5660/1A, as you can see by clicking on the pic. I'm sure this means something to someone.

Alan Clark's site talks of inspector's stamps on bits he recovered at this site...

Location:SK 16155 66123

Gloster Meteor RA487

RAF Meteor wreckage and accompanying crater:
SK 16573 89041






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