Again a Spitfire crash site?

[SALERNO1943]

Here is another crash site of a english aircraft.

Some idea about these fragments?








Marks on bullets
.303: K2 1941 W 1.
20 mm: ST 1942 20 MM, S.M.C. 1942 20MM M21, DURA 1942 20MM M21A1

Perhaps this is not of crash site.

[Andy Saunders]

Yes, I'd say a Spitfire as the large item on a bracket (your last two photos above the cartridge cases) is the undercarriage warning horn.

What are the dates on the bottom of the .303 and 20mm cartridge cases?

Do you have details of circumstances of crash?

If you look on airframe parts for numbers they should start 300 if Spitfire.

[SMF144]

Need more info than head-stamps from the shell cases; .303 and 20mm would point to the possibility of a Spitfire. Is there anything else besides the brass? Where's the location of the site?

[SALERNO1943]

As I wrote on photo of bullets date are 1941 and 1942.
Yes I know if find numer 300 it is a Spitfire but today we not find. We will return tomorrow.
The crash site is near Salerno town. Do you have some report of Spitfire crashed in 1942 or 1943 near Salerno? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Andy Saunders

Yes, I'd say a Spitfire as the large item on a bracket (your last two photos above the cartridge cases) is the undercarriage warning horn.

What are the dates on the bottom of the .303 and 20mm cartridge cases?

Do you have details of circumstances of crash?

If you look on airframe parts for numbers they should start 300 if Spitfire.

[SALERNO1943]

Originally Posted by SMF144

Need more info than head-stamps from the shell cases; .303 and 20mm would point to the possibility of a Spitfire. Is there anything else besides the brass? Where's the location of the site?

The crash site is near Salerno town. Do you have some report of Spitfire crashed in 1942 or 1943 near Salerno? Thanks.

[Andy Saunders]

Originally Posted by SMF144

Need more info than head-stamps from the shell cases; .303 and 20mm would point to the possibility of a Spitfire. Is there anything else besides the brass? Where's the location of the site?

My point was that the date stamps are always helpful in the process of identification; eg a 1944 stamp would rule out a 1943 crash, for instance. Given the location, though, I suspect we can be pretty much sure of the year anyway.

The warning klaxon is rather more indicative of type than the .303 or 20mm case "suggesting" it to be a Spitfie.

If there is a dearth of information then any little nugget can be helpful.

Experience of identifying a good few hundred wrecks since 1969 has taught me that.....!

PS - Sorry Salerno, just noticed that you have found the date stamps. All that tells us is that it must be 1942 or later, and I imagine it is most likely to be 1943. I have lists of most of the Spitfire losses around there, but without something more substatial to go on, then I think matching up the details will be difficult.

[SALERNO1943]

Originally Posted by Andy Saunders

My point was that the date stamps are always helpful in the process of identification; eg a 1944 stamp would rule out a 1943 crash, for instance. Given the location, though, I suspect we can be pretty much sure of the year anyway.

The warning klaxon is rather more indicative of type than the .303 or 20mm case "suggesting" it to be a Spitfie.

If there is a dearth of information then any little nugget can be helpful.

Experience of identifying a good few hundred wrecks since 1969 has taught me that.....!

Because of printing on bullets we can be sure that aircraft was crashed in 1942 or 1943 (1944 the front line is over Salerno). We not know the exact date but a witnesse that was a child when it crashed said to us that pilot was killed in the crash.
There are pilots of Spitfire crashed around Salerno in 1942 or 1943? Surely he was buried in Salerno War Cemetery.

[Icare9]

Hi, I think that because there were many Spitfire losses, to just say "around Salerno, and he must be buried in Salerno War Cemetery" is just too vague for a better identification. It's a hillside, is it a mountain, can you give us a better location on Google Earth perhaps?
Any information from local residents about a possible time when this happened? Was it shot down or just crashed into the hillside?
Does anyone remember whether there was a body buried or did he bale out.
The combination of 20 mm cannon shells and 0.303 ammunition (some of which was manufactured in 1943) will point to it probably being a Mark IX with the "C" wing, not the "E" wing which had 0.50 calibre ammunition...
That's about all we can tell you so far....... - but at least it looks as if it is a Spitfire this time and not a Wellington!!

[SMF144]

Andy, mate, why so defensive? Relax... I am well aware of what you have been upto and I do realize that any tid-bit of info helps. Christ. Sorry Salerno, for some reason your images were not displaying on my screen at work.