Wreckage of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 of the 709th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, crashed on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire, 6th April 1945, i took this photo on a very wet & misty day, 25th July 2004.
Crew / Passengers Rank - if applicable Position e.g. Pilot Status
Winston Johnson 2nd Lieutenant Pilot Injured (died in 1961 due to his injuries)
Raymond Parks 2nd Lieutenant Co-pilot Injured
Walter Vukelic 2nd Lieutenant Navigator Injured
Robert Schnug Sergeant Engineer Injured
Robert Woodbeck Sergeant Radio Operator Injured
The aircraft was on a test flight to put hours onto new engines which had been fitted to the aircraft. The flight was from Rattlesden near Stowmarket in Suffolk. The crew decided to head towards Manchester (for no real reason) when they got bored of flying around Suffolk but entered cloud on nearing the Pennines and became lost. While descending through cloud they struck the gently rising ground on Meltham Moor.
Text by kind permission of Alan L Clark www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk
Wreckage of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 of the 709th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, crashed on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire, 6th April 1945, i took this photo on a very wet & misty day, 25th July 2004.
Crew / Passengers Rank - if applicable Position e.g. Pilot Status
Winston Johnson 2nd Lieutenant Pilot Injured (died in 1961 due to his injuries)
Raymond Parks 2nd Lieutenant Co-pilot Injured
Walter Vukelic 2nd Lieutenant Navigator Injured
Robert Schnug Sergeant Engineer Injured
Robert Woodbeck Sergeant Radio Operator Injured
The aircraft was on a test flight to put hours onto new engines which had been fitted to the aircraft. The flight was from Rattlesden near Stowmarket in Suffolk. The crew decided to head towards Manchester (for no real reason) when they got bored of flying around Suffolk but entered cloud on nearing the Pennines and became lost. While descending through cloud they struck the gently rising ground on Meltham Moor.
Text by kind permission of Alan L Clark www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk