WWII B29 Super-Fortress Crash Site March 2012

[mistericeman]

As i am sure i have posted before 1 of my hobbies is visiting the last resting places of WWII aircraft in the Derbyshire Peak district .
One that has eluded me for some time was Boeing RB-29A 44-61999 "Overexposed" of the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 91st Reconnaissance Group, 311th Air Division, Strategic Air Command, USAF





I have been meaning to get to this wreck site for some time BUT have always shied away from it as it can be a bit on the busy side of busy for my liking,
However Today i was left alone and the weather was fair,so time for some peakland hill bashing .
Actually to be fair it was a fairly undramatic walk to this one with fairly gentle climbs ...mostly .

However the reward was EPIC i was left truly gobsmacked by this site .....i'll let you judge from the pictures after a little history gleaned from the web.

In all 13 Aircrew lost their lives in this crash


Landon P. Tanner Captain Pilot AO44484 Killed
Harry A. Stroud Captain Co-pilot AO725371 Killed
Ralph W. Fields Technical Sergeant Engineer AF13015734 Killed
Charles R. Wilbanks Sergeant Navigator AF14067868 Killed
Gene A. Gartner Staff Sergeant Radio Operator AF33736380 Killed
David D. Moore Staff Sergeant Radar Operator AF34056859 Killed
Saul R. Banks Technical Sergeant Camera Crew AF14243965 Killed
Donald R. Abrogast Sergeant Camera Crew AF15090583 Killed
Robert I. Doyle Staff Sergeant Camera Crew AF6918518 Killed
William M. Burrows Private 1st Class Camera Crew AF17234997 Killed
Clarence M. Franssen Corporal Passenger AF19263748 Killed
George Ingram Jr Corporal Passenger AF20822424 Killed
Howard E. Keel Captain Acting Photographic Advisor AO737964 Killed

On the 3rd November 1948 RB-29A 44-61999 was being used for a flight from Scampton near Lincoln to Burtonwood near Warrington, a flight of less than a hour. Low cloud hung over much of England that day and as such the flight was to be conducted on instruments. After having flown for the time the crew believed it should have taken them to cross the hill they descended. However the aircraft was not quite passed the hills and struck the ground near Higher Shelf Stones and was destroyed by fire.

The aircraft was soon reported missing and the local authorities and nearby RAF Mountain Rescue Service team were alerted. At the time the MRT were on a training exercise in the Kinder Scout area, they made their way as quickly as possible to the southern side of Bleaklow to begin a search for the crash site. They arrived at the crash site at the around 16:30 finding that there had been no survivors and with light fading left the recovery of the crew until the following morning.

The aircraft had, for at least part of its existance, carried the name 'Over Exposed', it got the name while being used by the 509th Composite Group to photograph atomic weapon tests as part of Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll during 1946. The aircraft may have still had this name at the time of the crash, however it was being flown by a completely different crew and was with a different unit.


Boeing RB-29A 44-61999 of the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 91st Reconnaissance Group, 311th Air Division, Strategic Air Command, USAF

The above is made all the more poignant for me as my primary school had a visit by American aircrew from RAF Burtonwood when i was but a nipper and not long before it was disbanded/closed.

























































Stunning day out with breathtaking views AND a strong sense of sorrow for those that lost their lives ........

[mistericeman]

Cheers guys .....
This is worth reading too ....

Transcripts of the rescue services attending the crash site BE WARNED it's not easy reading














Harrowing reading

Images courtesy of peakwreckhunters