Man lovingly tends B17 crash site

[TR4man]

I find this story very touching.

I hope that the anniversary flypast can be arranged as this remarkable man wishes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-south-yor...

ETA - title should be lovingly and not loving!

Edited by TR4man on Sunday 6th January 08:43

[Flying Phil]

There is a LOT of very good being done, for no reward, by so many people that is never recognised. We should keep a more balanced perspective on life.

[baldy1926]

Apparently both the RAF and USAF have been in contact with him in regards to the anniversary.
I cant see where the Americans would have any shortage of aircraft to provide a fly past.



Remembrance of crash sites is i believe very important.
I'm on a facebook group which is run by a guy who probably has the most extensive data base in the uk of military crashes.
The guy spends all his money on flowers to place on graves/memorials even missing meals to pay for them.

He really should make his facebook page a pay for access site but he just asks for donations.
He occasionally has a meltdown and removes most of the people off the site.

[Eric Mc]

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

[Podie]

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

True, but he probably didn’t see the others crash...

[baldy1926]

There are plenty of small memorials around the country remembering crashes.
Most are tended by local people to the crash site, some of which were also witnesses to the crash.
However most of them go totally unrecognised.

[TR4man]

baldy1926 said:

Apparently both the RAF and USAF have been in contact with him in regards to the anniversary.
I cant see where the Americans would have any shortage of aircraft to provide a fly past.



Remembrance of crash sites is i believe very important.
I'm on a facebook group which is run by a guy who probably has the most extensive data base in the uk of military crashes.
The guy spends all his money on flowers to place on graves/memorials even missing meals to pay for them.

He really should make his facebook page a pay for access site but he just asks for donations.
He occasionally has a meltdown and removes most of the people off the site.

Do you have a link to his FB site please?

[jurbie]

Podie said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

True, but he probably didn’t see the others crash...

As I understand it he carries some guilt believing that the pilot wanted to put down on the playing field where he and his friends were playing football but instead to avoid them carried on before coming down in the trees. Poor guy has felt responsible for the deaths of 10 men so makes his actions a little more understandable.

[baldy1926]

TR4man said:

baldy1926 said:

Apparently both the RAF and USAF have been in contact with him in regards to the anniversary.
I cant see where the Americans would have any shortage of aircraft to provide a fly past.



Remembrance of crash sites is i believe very important.
I'm on a facebook group which is run by a guy who probably has the most extensive data base in the uk of military crashes.
The guy spends all his money on flowers to place on graves/memorials even missing meals to pay for them.

He really should make his facebook page a pay for access site but he just asks for donations.
He occasionally has a meltdown and removes most of the people off the site.

Do you have a link to his FB site please?

Its currently a closed group but if you pm me your facebook details i'll add you.
He covers all the crashes on the day.
So today he will cover all the ones from todays date with a small write up and photos of crash location and crew details.

[Eric Mc]

Podie said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

True, but he probably didn’t see the others crash...

It was a valid question - how many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2?

[Piginapoke]

Eric Mc said:

Podie said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

True, but he probably didn’t see the others crash...

It was a valid question - how many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2?

From the UK, 1941-45, USAF flew approximately 10K missions and lost 4,2K bombers of all types.

Total B17 losses in all theatres were 4,800 planes.

[wolfracesonic]

I think we have a duty not to forget and I applaud this chaps time and effort but a fly-past for every aircraft that crashed with fatalities in WWII? I do know the U.S air force have sent personnel in the past to Endcliffe park hold small services of remembrance; the plane was called 'Mi amigo' if it wasn't mentioned in any of the vids and you're curious.

[paintman]

jurbie said:

Podie said:

Eric Mc said:

Hmm - sounds like a rather odd chap.

How many B-17s crashed in the UK during World War 2. It must have been in the hundreds.

True, but he probably didn’t see the others crash...

As I understand it he carries some guilt believing that the pilot wanted to put down on the playing field where he and his friends were playing football but instead to avoid them carried on before coming down in the trees. Poor guy has felt responsible for the deaths of 10 men so makes his actions a little more understandable.

In the televised interview I watched he says that he & other children were on the field & the crew of the plane were waving at them.
Believing it to be friendly waving they just waved back.
Didn't realise until after the crash that the waving was 'get out of the way' so over time has become survivors guilt.

[Eric Mc]

Piginapoke said:

From the UK, 1941-45, USAF flew approximately 10K missions and lost 4,2K bombers of all types.

Total B17 losses in all theatres were 4,800 planes.

A lot of those would have gone down over enemy territory. I was wonder how many crashed or crash landed in the UK. I know there were quite a few mid air collisions as they B-17s spent at least an hour after lift off assembling into formation before setting off to their targets.

[Tony1963]

Losses in training and ferry flights were huge.
We can’t ‘remember’ every loss individually, it’s impossible. So we have a thing called Remembrance Sunday, and this quite rightly remembers all those lost from WWI onwards.

I live in East Anglia... within a very short distance there’s Wattisham, then Rattlesden. Each has their own memorial to remember those lost, not just by enemy action, and not just in WWII.

[Eric Mc]

I was walking to the top of a hill near a place called Broadway and came across this memorial to a Whitley crash -

[theplayingmantis]

Have any of you folk been to the Overexposed crash site up on Bleaklow.

Very poignant and sad. Also a bit freaky as to the unaware it could seem as if the crash had happened yesterday, given how much wreckage remains and how worn the landscape is. (well it did a few years back, sure some ghouls have nicked some of the movable stuff)

[shed driver]

theplayingmantis said:

Have any of you folk been to the Overexposed crash site up on Bleaklow.

Very poignant and sad. Also a bit freaky as to the unaware it could seem as if the crash had happened yesterday, given how much wreckage remains and how worn the landscape is. (well it did a few years back, sure some ghouls have nicked some of the movable stuff)

I first went in the early 80s, today it is a shadow of its former self. I've got the USAAF inquiry to the crash. When I get home I'll try and post it.

SD.

[kik1.6se]

theplayingmantis said:

Have any of you folk been to the Overexposed crash site up on Bleaklow.

Very poignant and sad. Also a bit freaky as to the unaware it could seem as if the crash had happened yesterday, given how much wreckage remains and how worn the landscape is. (well it did a few years back, sure some ghouls have nicked some of the movable stuff)

My main claim to fame is being on the front cover cover of Pat Cunningham's book about peak district aircrashes, which was taken there by Pat himself. I'm top left, wearing black.
He wanted to get a photo of people respectfully observing the crash site, the other photos that had been proposed had people picking bits up and he didn't want to show that. Speaking to him, he seemed enthusiastic about keeping the memories alive and the wrecks preserved.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Peak-Air-Crash-Sites...

[Gary C]

used to be a WWII crash site in the hills near homeish (somewhere in wales) cant remember where but there were bits of aluminium everywhere, even 30 years after the crash and a very big engine in the lake.

At the time as a boy it was just a fascinating find, took a bit back home (must be in the loft somewhere), but i do wonder what happened to it all.