Snapper Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 My good friend John Baker, with whom I organise battlefield trips and who is one of my closest partners in crime; has recently been on a carefree midge survey in the Western Highlands. While there he visited the Liberator crash site at Gairloch dating from 13.06.1945, which is well documented and often visited by the look of things. Although the aircraft wreckage was scattered over a wide area, much of it remains and the following photographs I post in the time allowed will show various aspects, including views of the whole scene. Visit http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/lib_b-24h_gairloch.htm and http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:yeWjhnDGle4J:www.greenharbor.com/ROHPDF/ROH45.pdf+42-95095&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk go to the bottom of this page. I think the site itself will offer plenty of reading. Isn't it cruel that a plane carrying so many combat veterans home on a June day in 1945 should be lost this way. I'm attaching links to two websites with all the details. I think it wrong for me to nick it all. Four of the victims are buried at Madingley, and I am already thinking I'd like to pay my respects to them. The crew came from 66th Squadron of the 44th Bomb Group. I've copied this bit only... Casualties Those who died in the accident were: Crew: 1st/Lt Jack B Ketchum (22), Pilot 1st/Lt J H Spencer (22), Co-Pilot 2nd/Lt R J Robak (20), Navigator Technical Sgt H L Cheek (21), Engineer Technical Sgt J C Stammer (23), Radio Op. Staff Sgt E J Giles (24), Gunner Staff Sgt A L Natkin (20), Gunner Staff Sgt R E Davis (26), Gunner Staff Sgt H Riefen (25), Gunner Passengers (Air Transport Command) : Staff Sgt J B Ellis Jr. (24), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt J D Harvey (30), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt A W Hastings (23), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt E Einarsen (48), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt J H Hallissey (27), 93rd B.G. (H) Staff Sgt R J Francis (20), 323rd B.G. (H) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 There are a lot of these snaps. But they are interesting and the location is well off the beaten track to say the least. MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 some more of John's snaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 some more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Wow very impressive.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Rimmer Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Mark,thanks for posting the pictures. I knew about this crash as there was another crash of an Eighth "heavy" which was ferrying men back to the US after WW2 not far from my home. On June 8th 1945 B-17G 44-8639 of the 509th Bomb Squadron,351st Bomb Group from Polebrook Northants crashed in the Cader Idris range near Dolgellau killing all twenty on board,some of whom had been in England since early 1943 and had completed their tours. I have been researching the crash since I was 15 and I'm in contact with the families of several of the men. The B-24 crash is mentioned in the USAAF loss records alongside the B-17. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 I've more pix to post, and I'm getting John to sign up. This needs to be added in context to the stuff you, Joris and others add regularly which has nothing to do with spanners and makes HMVF a great place to be whether one owns a vehicle or not. I've got more of John's pix to post and we have piles of stuff between us from the battlefields, though he has been going for a lot longer than me and has been to places I am really jealous of him for. He has some good stories about Mons, for instance. I'll start nagging him now.... MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmer Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Greatings all, at last I've got round to joining in the fun, hope you enjoyed the pics. For those of you who are geocachers, you can visit the crash site by visiting cache reference GCP6EP. It was a pretty grim day when Mrs. Grimmer & I started out on the walk but pleased to say the clouds had cleared somewhat by the time we reached the site. Although the GPS shows it's only 2km from the nearest road, it's also 2km straight up and Mrs. Grimmer was not to impressed by the straight up bit! Never mind we had a hearty meal of haggis neaps & tatties and all was well. This is a very special place to visit, I was quite moved and spent several minutes just sitting on a rock surveying the site and pondering what must have been going through those young men's minds as the mountain loomed into site, all quite horrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Snapper and Grimmer. I won't be passing that on to the Mrs...she thinks we're bloody mad already.:-D Good to have you here, er, Grimmer. I'll have to get used to that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Having survived the war and then crashing - so tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Like - how come I missed this thread. Interesting to see that there is still large amounts of wreckage still there - would of thought it would of been 'collected' by now.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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