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

More info

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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Ponies: Llwytmor

Ponies: Llwytmor
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

A big walk yesterday, 12 miles again, up and down Llwytmor in Snowdonia. As a walk it was great, nice mountain, not too pointy, gorse and bell heather very prettily in flower.

As a wreck hunting expedition, not so good.

Found nothing at the supposed Junkers site in the Snowdonia wreckologist's list. No-one thinks there is a Junkers there, but they give a scatter area as well as a location. Surely there must have been something there once? The nearby Heinkel would presumably be the prime suspect.

We however found nothing around the Heinkel site location given in "High Ground Wrecks" either, and ran out of time before managing to find more than one Botha wreckage pile.

We will be back, coming up from the Aber Falls direction to save time.

Did see wild ponies though, was we often do on the Carneddau. Photographed them for a friend's teenage daughter. Ahhh.

Blackburn Botha Mk.I L6202 coded 6-20

Botha: Llwytmor
Originally uploaded by wreckhunter

A group of wreckage from the Llwytmor crash site of this Botha.

Location: SH 68135 69279

More info