Aircraft wreck in the Peak District - 1948

[Julie Hall - WSCC AO Representative]

I have a spare moment and thought you folks might be interested in looking at these pictures that I took the other day while on one of my yomps around the Peak District. 

 

The aircraft that crashed was a USAF Boeing Superfortress, killing all 13 people on board, in November 1948.

 

 

 

I think these were the wheels

 

 

I think this was part of the wing

 

 

I don't know what part this was but that very shiny metal has been there since 1948 and nobody has been along with the Autosol to polish it. Can I have a car made out of this please?

 

 

Possibly an axle or part of the landing gear?

 

 

Here is a good one. Top right is where the spark plug was sited? and middle bottom, there is still a spark plug in there?

 

 

Impellor?

 

 

The wreck is on Bleaklow, just off the A57 Snake Pass road, at approx 2000ft.

I hope you have enjoyed this.

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

How fantastic is that.

 

What a great post.

 

I have read about a lot of the crashed planes and would love to visit one of the sites.

 

There are the remains of a submarine near me that are still visible and a mulberry harbour.

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

The location is Higher shelf stones just go north on the penine way from the A57 it's not too far from the road but you need good boots.

It crashed on the 3rd of November 1948 one year to the day before I was born. I have all details of it at home somewhere, There's a book called aircraft wrecks of the dark peak, I'm not sure if it's still available.

[TableLeg]

Very interesting and great photos

[Steve (sdh2903)]

We did a team building week as British aerospace apprentices in the Peak District. Our final task was planning a long expedition and this site was one of the way points. Was a very moving experience even as a young un. It was in remarkable condition considering how long its been there and how quickly aircraft were chucked together back then.

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

There are loads of them up there, I have a sheet full of map references and details of the aircraft, some of them are very challenging map reading exercises, with very little remaining of the wreck.

[DanDud]

The plane is called Over Exposed and was used in the filming of the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.

 

More of it is still emerging from the peat bog as the bog is eroded, unfortunately pieces are being removed by idiots.

 

The complete tail section survived until the council had it blown up due to it being a tourist attraction in the 60's !!!

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

There's the remains of a Liberator which crashed in 1945 on its way back home with personnel on board. It is in a place called The Fairy Lochs near Gairloch in Wester Ross. It is an official war grave and there are tribute plaques and personal mementos left there. It is a very moving place to visit. The first time I went there I didn't feel able to take pictures, but the next time I took a few. They are on film and need scanning in, but Google will have plenty. 

[windy]

I'm fascinated by these things, so make an effort to find stuff like this on my travels. This one was above Coniston in the lake district. I've also found a Hurricane on the Isle of Coll in Scotland. It took a bit of tracking down.

 

 

 

 

 

[AllanI]

The books are Dark Peaks Aircraft Wrecks 1 & 2 by Ron Collier and Roni Wilkinson.

 

Allan

[Arm]

If any wants to do a Peak District walk to one I'm up for it.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Me too.

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

Yep I'm up for that, I've been to the Superfortress many times and Know the area quite well.

[pistonbroke 2]

Google

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/B29+OVEREXPOSED+Crash+Site/@53.4484583,-1.8639404,15.45z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x7afb133b58bf94d7!8m2!3d53.4505575!4d-1.8648648?hl=en

[Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO]

I've just been going through some old photos and scanning them for another project and i came across these shots of the Superfortress.

I probably took them about 1980.