Current aviation archaeology news

Recent digs (2006-2007) by BAAC groups include a Defiant, a Mosquito, a Lancaster and a Whitley. The full stories of these digs and further news appear in the magazine. Fuselage frames and other parts recovered from the site of Wellington R1093 near Brora will be used in the rebuild of the sole surviving Mk IV, Z1206. Further afield, a C-47 has been discovered at Beaver Creek, Yukon and wreckage from Halifax JP276 has been excavated in southern Poland.

A memorial to the crew of Wellington X3171 was unveiled on Saturday, 4th November 2006. The aircraft, of 15 OTU based at RAF Harwell, crashed on 01/03/1943 during a cross-country exercise with the loss of all six crew. The memorial plaque is in the Holly Bush pub in the village of Greenhaugh, Northumberland.

Tidal action uncovered the wreckage of a Mosquito in the Wash in 2004. NS998 had been missing since 1945. The harbour master contacted BAAC and two of our groups in the area worked with the Ministry of Defence to investigate further. The MoD was able to recover the remains of the crew and a local museum will now put on a commemorative display of items from the aircraft. For further details, see the BBC website.

The "Aviation Archaeologist" is now in a new A4 format, containing more colour. The magazine contains features written by aviation archaeologists in Britain and on the continent. It advertises forthcoming events, contains the latest information on publications and has photographs of recent digs. The magazine is sent out to all the members and to subscribers. Subscription is just £10.00 including P&P for four issues (£15.00 overseas).

Stories in the current issue (Series 3 no. 2)...

• News
• Greenland Military Wreck Saga
• Museum Focus - Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group
• A knitted pair of boots (Proctor LZ595)
• Aviation archaeology 30 years ago

The following back copies of the Aviation Archaeologist can be purchased from BAAC.
For further details, email: baacmemsec@aol.com

Series 2 number 24
£1.50 inc P&P

Loss of Tomahawk AH744 – D Earl
Halifax Survivor – J Collier
Spitfire Collision – S Jones
Island & Highlands Revisited – D Earl
Spitfire Vb AR345 – D Thompson
Berkshire Halifax Museum – B Collis
East Yorkshire Dornier – D Thompson
The South Bank Dornier – D Thompson

Series 2 number 28
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Isle of Bute Crash Log – D Hanson
Diary of a 50 MU Man – J Wilson
Mustang Double – J Carless
Yorkshire Junkers - ?
Gifts from Australia – D Nutt
Yorkshire Dales Crash Log, Apr 99 – L Norgate/L Pickard
The Kielder Halifax Memorial – HP (57 Rescue) Halifax
The Bell Road Burials – D Sakar
The Premiers Plane – C Collins

Series 2 number 33
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
The Diary Plane – D Hanson
To France with Time Team, Part 2 – J Carless
North East England Aircraft Crash Research Reports – J Corbett
Down in the Dales, Around Keld – D Hanson
Arizona Accidents – C Fuller
57 Rescue News – I Foster
The Assault Glider Project – J Collier

Series 2 number 36
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
A Pioneer Dig – Sussex 1965 – P Hodgkiss
The Final Mission – D Hanson
Scottish Crash Sites & the Environment – I McLeod
Belgian Investigations – P Mertens
Return to Lincoln – via D Thompson
Dambusters Lancaster Loss – D Baxter
Halifax VC Honoured – D Thompson
Halifax on Rudland Rigg – D Thompson
A Master Recovery – J Collier

Series 2 number 37
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings - Various
Greenland Military Wreck Saga – D Hanson
Washington Loss – J Collier
Cadet Peterson and the “Mighty Mustang” – R Hill
Welsh Losses – D Thompson
Irish Losses – D Thompson

Series 2 number 38
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Greenland Military Wreck Saga – D Hanson
Research Never Ends – D Stubley
Billy Drake’s Hurricane – P Hodgkiss
Loss of Sunderland NJ138 – J McFarline
Loss of Harvard FT401 – I McLeod
Low Flying? Surely Not! – J Collier

Series 2 number 39
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Double Trouble – D Hanson
Greenland Military Wreck Saga – D Hanson
Wellington Recovery – M Evans
Tintwhistle Tragedies – D Thompson
Lancaster Memorial – via D Thompson
Mustang Collision – R Hill
Wellington Site Revisited – J Collier

Series 2 number 40
£1.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Greenland Military Wreck Saga – D Hanson
Loss of Whitley T4163 – S Jones
Death Valley Disaster – R Hill
Sabre Site Explored – R Hill

Series 2 colour number 41
£2.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Whitley Crew Remembered – M Grant
Prescelli Mountain Crashes – D Hanson
Berwyn Losses – R Evans
Flying Officer Bedard’s Memorial – D Stubley
Vanished Sites No. 2 – P Hodgkiss
Belgian Aviation Archaeology Group reports – P Mertens

Series 2 colour number 42
£2.50 inc P&P

Down in the Dales, Part 2 – D Hanson
Firefly Losses – D Porteous
Lancaster Memorial – R Evans
In Search of a Phantom – R Hill
Hay Bluff Crash Sites – J Collier

Series 2 colour number 43
£2.50 inc P&P

Jottings – Various
Greenland Military Wreck Saga [continued] – D Hanson
Rednal Mustang Loss – R Evans
The Berwyn Vampire – R Evans
Lancaster Training Losses – I Haythorne via P Cannon

Series 2 colour number 44
£2.50 inc P&P

Loss of Lancaster ND820 – LARG
Whitley Structure Saved – M Evans
Aircraft Crash Sites in North Tynedale & Redesdale – J Corbett
The Million Dollar Plane – D Hanson
Mosquito in the Wash –  D Stubley

Series 2 colour number 45
£2.50 inc P&P

Aircraft Crashes in North Tyndale & Redesdale – J Corbett
The Rothersthorpe Wellington – via P Cannon
Loss of Thunderbolt 41-6395 – J Collier
A Cross Marks the Spot – D Hanson
The Old Master – D Hanson
The Haughmond Mosquito – R Evans
Hampden Loss – R Evans
Glen Strae Loss – S Spink

Series 2 colour number 46
£2.50 inc P&P

The Search for Sergeant Nawrocki – LAIT
Jumping the Pond – S Jones
Cheetah Restoration – M Evans
The Albemarle Project – D Stansfield
Whitley Progress – M Evans

Series 3 number 1

Greenland Military Wreck Saga
Museum Focus - Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group
Digging in Foreign Parts
20th Fighter Group Find
Information Exchange

Additional copies of BAAC minutes are also available to anyone who belongs to a BAAC member group.
For further details, email: baacmemsec@aol.com