"Several wrecks and an aeroplane" A very special 2 hour steady off-road run led by Julie Gardner, venturing into the hills surrounding Hayfield on a route to include the WW2 wreck of a Liberator bomber that crashed there in 1944. Details below:-
The bomber that crashed by Mill Hill.
https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/peak-district/consolidated-b-24j-42-52003-mill-hill/
It's the Kinder Downfall Race on Sunday, also from Hayfield, so we may meet up with the runners out on the hills or in the cafes in Hayfield afterwards.
Park in the Sett Valley Trail car park or anywhere nearby in Hayfield. We'll meet and run from the Trail car park at 9.30. If convenient meet at Tucker's for a 8.50 departure, otherwise at The Sett Valley Trail at 9.30.
Details
Consolidated Vultee B-24J Liberator, Mill Hill 11th October 1944.
This plane was solely used by the British. However, in September 1943 the Americans began to appreciate its value. Over 18,000 were built with production reaching 1 every 56 minutes. A “ferry crew" of a pilot and engineer (neither had flown together before), were delivering a replacement aircraft from Burtonwood, Liverpool to an American operational squad based at RAF Hardwick near Northwich.
The pilot did not adhere to operating instructions in the event of marginal weather, as it was on that day. After 15 minutes of flying there was a break in the clouds and a glimpse of a black surface could be seen. At a height of 1500 feet full power was applied to pull up, but at 1640 feet above sea level the aircraft hit ground. The height of Mill Hill.
The aircraft was fully destroyed, but didn’t catch fire. Both men managed to stumble from the wreck with slight lacerations. They decided to walk off the remote hills and on reaching the Hayfield to Glossop road, hitched a lift to a pub to phone Burtonwood and advise them of the disaster.
The Accident Committee found the pilot in error for not adhering to operating instructions and having altitude problems. There was no fault with the plane or instruments.
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