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Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

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Old 30th April 2013, 22:06
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Mysticpuma Mysticpuma is offline
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Regarding crash sites in the UK, are there still undiscovered aircraft or are most sites known?

I only ask out of interest following the reading of the books by Ian McLachlan called "Final Flights" and "Bomber Stories" that cover great detail of finding crash sites and excavating the remains.

The books cover some impressive research and discovery of crash sites, but also discuss the crash-sites have since (70's onwards I believe) become difficult to dig and recover without detailing the reasons why the site should be excavated, so the MoD can approve.

This of-course is understandable, but it made me curious as to how many aircraft are still thought to be undiscovered or are known to have crashed, but subsequently have not been recovered?

I have no access to wartime records but after reading the excellent Mr. McLachlan's books, he obviously devoted many hours in research to discover the history of events surrounding accidents.

Surprisingly in one they recovered an engine buried deep from a Hurricane crash, along with other engines on other crash sites, most of which locations came from local people having been witness to the crashes.

Although the North Sea and English Channel lay claim to maybe hundreds of aircraft (now corroded beyond recognition by Salt and tide), I wonder how many aircraft lie undiscovered or un-recovered on the British Landscape?

I think my interest was peaked when I found another book by an author named Glynn Warren, which detailed a 'remarkable' crash of a German Bomber near where I live in Bromsgrove, UK.

"The nearest contact the Droitwich station had with enemy action was on 12th March 1941 when a German bomber crashed in a field near the transmitter site. The plane, a JU88, was on a bombing mission to Birkenhead docks when it caught fire near Anglesey. The crew baled out after setting the plane on a course to crash at sea, but by some strange chance it turned through 180 degrees and flew inland. The Junkers covered 100 miles before it crashed in flames at 10.00pm just behind the B.B.C. station and must have passed very close to the two masts. The incident is very well documented in a book by Mr. Glyn Warren called "Worcestershire at War"

I just wondered if active recovery still goes on at crash sites that are known and secondly are other sites still being found to this day (in the UK I am mainly thinking about as I know all too well of the P-40 in the Desert).

Lastly have there ever been any documentaries that forumites would consider worth tracking down, about aircraft recovery other than the Hurricane that crashed into the Bomber over Buckingham Palace?

Cheers, MP
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Old 2nd May 2013, 12:55
Graham Boak Graham Boak is offline
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Re: Regarding crash sites in the UK, are there still undiscovered aircraft or are most sites known?

Can I suggest that you also ask this on Key Publishing's Historical web forum, where such things are often discussed.
http://forum.keypublishing.com/forum...toric-Aviation
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