The disputed Norseman site looks much the same as last time we visited, and established that it was a US 'plane rather than Defiant Mk.I T3921, as some had claimed.
Location: SJ 99831 73579
Showing posts with label aircraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aircraft. Show all posts
Monday, 3 September 2018
Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman 43-35439
The disputed Norseman site looks much the same as last time we visited, and established that it was a US 'plane rather than Defiant Mk.I T3921, as some had claimed.
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Short Stirling Mk.III LK502
Stirling:Lake Rudyard
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2
Previously molten chunks of aluminium, scraps, and a marked negative terminal at the impact site of the Stirling bomber which crashed near Rudyard Lake. There are also many scraps around this location, and an adjacent patch of bare earth riddled with minutiae. Hard to believe it hasn't been kept bare by generations of souvenir hunters scratching around for bits.
Location:SJ 93949 59825
More info
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside
Up onto yet another Whernside in Yorkshire, this one above the Ribblehead Viaduct (pictured). Interesting weather and light throughout the day, Mick got some good snaps.
A relatively easy walk, only 12k and not too much ascent to see a couple of WWII wreck sites. What with having had swine flu and so on, we weren't up for a mad yomp. Nice walk, and down in time for tea for once.
Despite High Ground Wrecks being as rubbish as ever in Yorkshire, we found both sites we were going for. I hadn't realised how much these two sites had been picked over by wreckologists until I did the post-walk research. Sad. But then they are sad.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072
Martin Marauder B-26G 44-68072
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
A day out with Matt ZX to see if we could find anything from the Marauder crash site on Y Garn yesterday.
The photo shows what we believe to be the impact point of this medium bomber of the Western face of Y Garn, Snowdonia. The parallel lines of scree are deepish scrapes which have filled over time with small stones. The site location was proven correct by the presence of some distinctive bits of aircraft aluminium, as shown in the entry below.
David Earl reports that the aircraft broke in two from here, with one bit staying with one of the crew on the Llanberis side, and the remainder of the crew and 'plane going over the edge to break up and scatter in the valley below. An old-time wreckhunter has written to tell us that by the early 60s only the props lay on this side of the hillside, the wing sections seemingly having been pushed over the cliff.
Using telescopes and binoculars from the summit, we established that the undercarriage and other bits not weighed in for scrap by the local magpies are still present. We will return by the Eastern route to get photos and accurate locations for the scattered wreckage on a later trip.
Location of impact point: SH 62842 59856
Location of undercarriage:SH 631 602
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
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!
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Avro Anson T21 VV995
Anson VV995
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
Finally found the undercarriage from this Anson navigation trainer on Foel Lwyd at the third try.
This was our backup walk after our attempt on Moel Hebog's Anson EG472 had to be abandoned, as we had chosen a route which was unsuited to the weather.
Ended up doing it in the dark, but with good coords from Rob the Tog, an easy find in the end. It's always a lot easier when you are looking in the right place. The High Ground Wrecks coordinates are over 200m out at this site, and on this terrain, that's a long way.
Location: SH 72366 72056
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
World's End
World's End
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
Went up to a place called World's End above Minera (near Wrexham)on Monday in a fair bit of snow looking for some of the wrecks up there. Four are given in High Ground Wrecks: Beaufighter NE203, Spitfire TE210, Fulmar N4074, and Master N7442.
As with last week in Yorkshire, we found nothing anywhere near the HGW coordinates for the ones we got to.
A great day out though, and we had the added excitement of very nearly losing the Landy over a steep bank. Excitement is not quite the right word though, we were a few inches from a 30m drop sideways.
The road is basically impassable in any amount of snow, as even locals were finding out the hard way. Quite a few people went past points of no return, and we had to take a couple of carfuls back down to safety as dark closed in. I should imagine this has been world's end for a few drivers over the years, as well as all those pilots.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Avro Lancaster Mk. I W4326 'C' Charlie
Dolwen Lancaster
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
We went out yesterday for a look at the Dolwen Lancaster. We knew it had been "recovered" a few years back, so were unprepared for how much skinning and other components might have been left behind by wreckologists clearly interested only in engines.
There is a lot. We'd still class this site as at least a "medium" on the High Ground Wrecks gradings. The HGW coords are pretty good too.
We understand the soft ground meant that the engines were exceptionally well-preserved. We believe one of them to be in the Caernarvon Airworld "museum". Where the others are we do not know.
We understand the guy previously mentioned on here who makes the little model 'planes from melted down wreckage has also visited this site.
This is Matt ZX with the crater and wreckage piles in the background
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75101
Oxygen Tank: Thunderbolt 42-75101
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
This is one of the oxygen tanks from the rear of the cockpit. Their original location can be seen in the P-47's flight manual at the link below.
If you click through and zoom in, the following text can be clearly read," TYPE D-2 INTERNAL VOLUME 500 CUBIC INCHES AVAILABLE OXYGEN FROM ...50 POUNDS PER SQ..PRESSURE=6.9 CUBIC.."
The full text would originally have said "F.S.P. CO., BREATHING OXYGEN, NONSHATTERABLE TYPE D-2 INTERNAL VOLUME 500 CUBIC INCHES, AVAILABLE OXYGEN FROM 400 TO 50 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH PRESSURE=6.9 CUBIC FEET" if you are interested.
Location: SH 88510 14378
More info
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75101
Pile: Thunderbolt 42-75101
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
Detail from the pile of skinning and components nearerest to the edge of the wood
Location: SH 88453 14438
More info
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Consolidated B-24 J Liberator 42-99991 "Bachelors Baby"
Liberator-Batchelor's Baby: Moelfre
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
Memorial to the five human crew killed in the 1942 crash of this American heavy bomber, and their dog "Booster", who was interred at the site.
The site is a full 82 m from the six decimal place coordinates given on the "GPS Walker" site. Perhaps that is why Alan Clark is happy to carry a link to that inaccurate and ill-maintained site and not to ours. No-one is going to find much from "GPS Walker"'s coordinates.
Since the site's title implies that GPS is being used for navigation and production of coordinates, we have no idea how the coordinates published on the website can be so far out.
We have had no success in contacting "GPS Walker", but if you are out there, your comments are invited. We link below our +/-3m accurate coordinates to the relevant page of "GPS Walker"'s site.
Location: SH 71564 74345
More info
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Bofurs Gun
40mm AA Gun
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
One of Welsh Barry's finds, a pretty much complete 40mm Bofurs anti-aircraft autocannon apparently abandoned to rot in the wilds of Staffordshire.
Location:SK 04588 57285
More info
Monday, 10 November 2008
West Midlands- Kidderminster
Rocket Testing Facility
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
A Remembrance Sunday out yesterday with Matt ZX and his Motley Crüe, as well as our mate Moustache Steve.
Turned a bit wet and windy towards the end of the day, but we had 100% success in finding trace evidence at the the three sites Matt had chosen, despite them all being well picked over by the usual magpies.
Passed this secret rocket testing facility, (now scarcely used) on the way. Security could be a bit tighter.
Hawker Hurricane Mk. I Z5663
Hurricane: Bewdley
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
Scraps from the crash site of this Hurricane in the Wyre Forest.
Location SO 7472 77904
More info
Spitfire Mk.XIV NH695
Spitfire: Bewdley
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
A nut from a Spitfire which crashed in Postensplain, Wyre Forest.
This is our first crash site for a female pilot.
Mrs Rosamund King Everard-Steenkamp was at the controls. We are told that her husband had himself previously died in an aviation accident. She may have been the first woman to fly a jet.
Location: SO 74870 79165
More info
Airspeed Oxford AT655
Oxford: Kidderminster
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter
The remains of this Oxford in Wassell Wood, SW Midlands are more substantial than those at the other two sites visited on the day.
Location: SO 79661 77602
More info
Friday, 7 November 2008
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
More info
De Havilland Vampire T.11 XE854
Neglected Crash Site Memorial
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2
By an industrial estate in Rawmarsh, there is an unmade lane. Down this lane there is an empty house. Behind the empty house there is derelict half-acre of waist-high nettles.
100 yards through this there is a scruffy thicket of trees. Inside the thicket there is a low, gated wall.
Inside the wall there is a tangle of brambles, and in this tangle there are two memorials and a bench commemorating the fatal crash of a Vampire jet in 1959.
We'd never have found this without Pat Cunningham's 6 d.p. coordinates.
The standing memorial is from the pilot's aunties and uncles, and the one on the ground from his parents. The neglected state of these memorials is a sad sight.
UPDATE the memorials and the pilot's ashes have been moved to new locations
De Havilland Vampire T.11 XE854
Neglected Crash Site Memorial
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2
The parents of the teenage pilot placed this memorial in the crater caused by his crashing his jet into the ground after disobeying orders in order to fly low over his home whilst supposedly on a training flight.
He had previously got away this with on several occasions in prop 'planes, but this time he became disoriented in cloud, and hit the ground with fatal results.
If this seems a harsh summary of events, Pat Cunnigham's is less generous still.
The pilot's ashes are also interred here.
Location: SK 43346 95752
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Blackburn B-24 Skua Mk.II L3054 or Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV V6099?
Skua/Beaufighter: Elidir Fawr
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2
We think the molten aluminium mixed in with these more recognisable components show this to be the burn-out site of this disputed wreck site on Elidir Fawr.
There is a cairn immediately adjacent to this scatter of bits, perhaps indicating that someone else thought the same.
We are calling it as the Skua rather than a Beaufighter, based on what is there to be seen now. It might even be more of the Blenheim. That would be a long wreckage trail, mind.
More info
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