Warbird Information Exchange

Had another e-mail (been a good week for warbird info) on a crash I wasnt aware of, but i am sure other Wixers are, of a Boston in newfoundland.

A friend was sailing there this summer and visited the site and had this to say and included the following photos.

Here are pics from crash site located Conche, Nfld, about 40 miles south of St Anthony’s and about ¼ mile in from the coast.Pictures taken June ,2010.The plane has been moved from the original site which was a few hundred feet farther up the hill.Looks like it was rolled over in the move.

Nov 30,1942—3 Boston BZ-277 bombers depart Gander for UK on Ferry Flight.Some distance out all three are heavily iced and attempt to return to Gander.Two are lost at sea and Capt Morrow makes it just over the land at Conche.Navigator(in the nose) bails out at 600 ft and lands safely.Plane lands,crashing thru 2 fences.All crew survive.

Capt.Morrow had flown fighters in England since 1940 and after some leave back in Canada,was working his way back to the UK.

After this incident,these Aircraft were flown to Europe via Brasil to North Africa,as the aircraft were not suitable to fly the harsh northern route.

Attached website of Conche has a strange entry for this event—no pictures or explanation but looks like the incident report after the crash. http://www.ghostcod.com/Airplane/PlaneInfo.htm

Just found another site with some more details,except it says they ran short of fuel,wich was not the case.It was icing. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 7938.shtml

Thanks to Peter Atkinson for allowing me to share his photos and information with you.

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Mike

Ah yes, There we were, left engine on fire, right engine feathered...ahh yes,...there we were, ..Screwed! No Kissing!

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Although the fuselage is very stripped it would be a great project to see restored for Duxford.

Its great to see it has survived the scrappy's if not the souvenir hunters.

regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

I believe you meant to type "Rockcliffe."

August

Rockcliffe or Duxford -either would be better than leaving it left as a wreck in the open indefinately, I wasnt aware the RCAF had operated the Boston III, I guess I felt the RAF provenance of this wreck encouraged it to be displayed in the UK where it was heading and its stablemates ended up.

regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

As quoted from http://rcaf.com/Aircraft/aircraftDetail.php?BOSTON-69

Douglas BOSTON
The Boston medium bomber and its fighter variant, the Havoc were well familiar to many Canadians both in the RCAF and RAF during World War II. No. 418 (RCAF) Sqn used them as night intruders when such operations were still in the experimental stage.

418 Sqn operated the type from March 1942 until July 1943, when they were replaced by Mosquito aircraft. Later models had their standard armament supplemented with a tray mounted in the belly containing four 20 mm cannon. Bostons were also used to lay smoke screens for the raid at Dieppe in August of 1942.

The RCAF also operated several Bostons in Canada, these being Boston Mk III AL672, Boston Mk IIIA BZ385 and a Boston Mk IV BZ401.

Other Bostons were flown as medium-bombers over France and North Africa, where many Canadians became acquainted with the type.

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Mike

Ah yes, There we were, left engine on fire, right engine feathered...ahh yes,...there we were, ..Screwed! No Kissing!

very little corrosion, but definetely needs some meat on the bones. i wasn't aware canada operated the boston/havoc either.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!