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What an amazing find. Thank you for sharing that with us here.
Im sure some of you plane lovers will find this interesting.
I grew up very close to a major RAF base and lived directly on the flight path, in fact we lived in the last house before the runway, landing aircraft were literally only a hundred feet above our house. Growing up so close to a major RAF hub I always had an interest in all aviation from an early age. Our house overlooked 2 huge fields, the top field could be accessed from the lower field by crossing a stone bridge and further up a small metal bridge which always puzzled me as a child because it had a small porthole in it. The story my dad fed me was that it was a door section off of a downed mosquito that had crashed just after the war, being young it never registered that much to me and so i soon forgot about it.
Fast forward 40 odd years and I’ve moved back in spitting distance to where I grew up and the story of the downed Mozzie sprung back in my head…by sheer coincidence about 2 weeks later a post came up on the local FB page about a plane crashing back in the 40s in roughly the same location which was by all accounts a mosquito.
Several older members remember the story and one guy had some old archived photos of the incident.
Obviously I don’t have the same landscape as today but there are a few buildings that are still in existence and its approx where the crossing was, or at least in my head anyway.
Last year whilst out with the dogs I regularly walked past where I thought the door section was but sadly there was no evidence of it. After much searching I gave up and assumed that the farmer had ripped it up and threw it away.
This week whilst out walking the dogs I was stood looking around whilst they took a piss and caught out the corner of my eye a panel buried deep in a small overgrown area.
After assessing the safest way through the undergrowth and the wife moaning that id fall and sting myself on the 4ft high nettles I managed to get to it….low and behold the door section!! Pulled it out from the undergrowth and it’s pretty clear is something from a plane judging by its rivets. On the back side there are lockable turn handles.
Started looking online at some pics of the mosquitoes and it looks like it comes from under the fuselage directly forward of the bomb bay doors.
Got to say it pretty amazing to be (or i hope) to be handling a piece of aviation history from a plane from post
WW2. I intend to head back over and get some better pics and see if there’s any numbers on it but for now some pics…
The section i believe it is is lower left of the yellow prop tip
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Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 15th May 2022 at 19:38.
What an amazing find. Thank you for sharing that with us here.
That's an incredible find and part of a much under-rated aircraft. Coincidentally, a friend (ex-RAF polit and for the last 10 years or more, full-time professional artist) has just been commissioned to paint the image below of Op Jericho. My print of this is currently with a framer.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing!
F.T.F.A.
That’s an awesome find and worthy of a museum.
Certainly looks like the crew door....Great find
Do you believe that it comes from the aircraft (NS736) in the pictures, or are they simply illustrative?
Good with discovering more about it. I look forward to seeing an update. Thanks for posting.
Last edited by PickleB; 13th May 2022 at 22:41. Reason: correct typo
NS736 i thought , the local FB page shared it from a mosquito group and its apparently the one.Originally Posted by PickleB
You're right, my fat fingers caused a typo while using the on-screen keyboard. The link was OK and leads to the right aircraft and I've now corrected my typing.
Fantastic find!
I'd get in touch with the guys at the De Havilland museum near London Colony with some pictures and see what they say
Fascinating, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading any further updates on what else you find out.
What happened to the rest of the plane? Strange that 40 years ago no-one cared about this bit of it.
The access door was one of the few aluminium bits on the Mossie
The rest of the aircraft would have been cut up and burnt I would have thought after any useful bits were salvaged.
Reading the OP it seems that "this bit" was pressed into use as a small bridge. I would suspect that other parts were salvaged and reused, where possible, and the rest treated as scrap...hence the usual repurposing of what may have been the crew door. Being on the underside, the accident will have done it some damage.
Such accidents were not too uncommon at that time...link.
Awesome find! It will make for a great garage decoration and story prompt. This particular mosquito lives again, if only in story.
I’m currently speaking with a guy who is running the peoples mosquito charity. I messaged him last night and he is unsure if it’s from the a Mosquito although he’s no airframes expert. He’s forward my pics to a pal who will hopefully confirm
He seems to think that most parts were wooden including the doors, however the plane in question was a Mk16 which was the first model pressurised for 35k ft
Surely these wouldn’t have been built out of entirely compressed laminate woods and would have a greater degree of riveted airframe for that purpose?
It’s just possible I found a piece from a 1960s combine harvester and my old man was a massive bullcrapper
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Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 14th May 2022 at 10:59.
I think the access door was aluminium (on the latter models) for longevity, the vast majority of the airframe was plywood though. (Bar engines, ancillaries, firewalls etc.)…
He seems to think that most parts were wooden including the doors, however the plane in question was a Mk16 which was the first model pressurised for 35k ft
Surely these wouldn’t have been built out of entirely compressed laminate woods and would have a greater degree of riveted airframe for that purpose?
It’s just possible I found a piece from a 1960s combine harvester and my old man was a massive bullcrapper
Whilst the majority of the aircraft probably remained wooden - it's possible that the cabin area was pressurised - The*B Mk XVI*was powered by the same variations as the B.IX. All B Mk XVIs were capable of being converted to carry the 4,000*lb (1,800*kg) "Cookie".[163]*The two-stage powerplants were added along with a pressurised cabin.*DZ540*first flew on 1 January 1944. The prototype was converted from a IV (402 built).
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Just been googling this out of curiosity. Found these couple of pics of the later style crew access door open.
Last edited by Seiko7A38; 14th May 2022 at 12:23.
Interesting, thanks for posting. Looking forward to more.
I see a second window / port in this picture of a Mosquito PR Mk XVI...see link for full size and details:
Update See also these photos (4 in number) of PR.IX 'LR480' Lovely Lady
Last edited by PickleB; 14th May 2022 at 12:55.
From the last pics i have my doubts its the crew hatch door, its seems of the wrong construction. Thats not to say that design changes didn’t go on of course on later models.
Anyone who is interested in this id like to say now, just in case, I’m sorry if this is off of some piece of farming equipment!!
A few more pics from this morning
Clearly aluminium frame and light, hundreds of rivets and has clinched edges. There are various turn handles and what looks like to be a securing mechanism with a spring…..the plot thickens!!
I have found some serial numbers which ill share shorty however all i can find currently using the numbers are replacing printer cartridges for a HP printer
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Do you mean the one at the front of the bomb bay door?I see a second window / port in this picture of a Mosquito PR Mk XVI...see link for full size and details:
Update See also these photos (4 in number) of PR.IX 'LR480' Lovely Lady
If so im not sure if its long enough, the piece i found looks complete and from that pic above doesn’t seem long enough
That's what I was looking at (but not a bomb bay as this type was used for photo reconnaissance), however the internals don't seem to match very well with your item...see link...as far as I can tell.
What a fantastic find if it turns out to be from a Mosquito!
I'll be watching this thread to see what turns up.
I do like a Mossie and recently completed a MKIV 1/32 version - it's pretty big!
Cheers,
Neil.
Ah I do t think it is the access for now, the window hole is in the wrong place and the panel is the wrong shape.
It does look like it’s from an aircraft though
Possibly a camera port from the belly?
It looks as if the structure is symmetrical and made for regular removal and replacement. The photo recon versions had cameras behind the Bomb bay so it may be a panel to over these.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 14th May 2022 at 14:58.
It was by all accounts assigned to the meteorological section at RAF Lyneham so I guess he maybe used for photography
I’ve sent the pics off to the De havilland musejm in London, he’s replied and sent them to the missus guys… just waiting for a response
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Yes indeed...see the link I posted earlier, NS736 was assigned to No 1409 Flight RAF (wiki Link 1) and was a PR (photo-reconnaissance) aircraft (wikiLink 2). According to wiki Link 1 they flew PAMPA (Photo-recce And Meteorological Photography Aircraft) missions. NS 736 (according to that wiki link) was one of only 3 aircraft lost by 1409 Flight over 1,364 operations.
Cool… I missed the acronym
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I’d recommend a visit to de Havilland museum for the Mosquitos on display, it’s within spitting distance of the north arc of the M25.
There are also sections of the ply/balsa sandwich, jigs that sort of thing.
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Fantastic buddy, thanks for sharing.
ATB
Paul
Mosquito restoration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rauNQgkOJhU
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
See this link A52-600, for the last surviving de Havilland Mosquito PR Mk XVI...it's in Australia. However they may be able to comment based on your photos if the UK contacts don't dismiss the piece as something other than an aircraft.
And also: Restoring an RAAF de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk.XVI.
Balls and more balls!
I have confirmation that its not from a Mosquito however he's also confirmed it’s definitely a BOAP
The RAF have a long history here and it could be off literally anything, even a foreign plane I guess as it could have fell off on final approach. When the Hercules were here a nose cone fell off and landed in the field about 1/3 mile from where this part is, so i guess anything’s possible.
Ill continue to look at the known crashes here…..https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase...&submit=Submit and hopefully i may come up trumps.
The guy who confirmed is also interested and has said hed try and find out what it came from using the stamped serial numbers.
I will update when i know more.
Edit: Of course I've completely ignored the fact the the C130 was here for 40 years and it could be off one of them…i mean whod have thought it ��
The expert is saying it’s its not mossie because those panels would have been constructed of wood!
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 15th May 2022 at 09:58.
I would recommend getting hold of the Hunt brothers at the Wings Museum, this is exactly the sort of thing they help with:
https://www.wingsmuseum.co.uk/our-wo...n-archaeology/
Maybe some info from this ebay link?
FB messaged and they're on the case…cheers.
What qan interesting thread!!
Some years ago I bought a Webley mk2 Service rifle from a forum, The sller put this in the package and posted it to me with a note that he'd included the 'Telescopic sight for the gun' He also said he didn't know how to fit it!!
The Mk2 Service was never meant to have a scope!, It clearly says A.M. with the crown which obviously is Air Ministry, I've asked about on Facey several times but no one seems to recognise what it was originally attached to, Ideas were for Bomb Aiming! (Nowt like any I could find!) Another suggestion was the aiming sight from, an Aldis lamp but none looked like this thing!!
I also have an 'AVRO' brass badge that was held on to something with two rivets/screws that came in a box of watch related parts from the bootsale somewhere in the house!
If anyone is interested in wartime plane crashes, there's a book called Dark Peak wrecks that give details of wreck site with co ordinates on the paks where they lie, It also tells what condition the wrecks are although i'll bet they were pillaged so badly that my copy will be out of date now!
john
So ive had a reply back from the guys on the previous link today, after sending them the details including the stamp pic its been identified.
Its off of a Hadley Page Hastings, see pics below
There were no registered crashes there that i can see so god knows how it got there…..but sorry guys it wasnt a mossie!!
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So ive had a reply back from the guys on the previous link today, after sending them the details including the stamp pic its been identified.
Its off of a Hadley Page Hastings, see pics below
There were no registered crashes there that i can see so god knows how it got there…..but sorry guys it wasnt a mossie!!
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Great that you got it ID'd so quickly!, I've heard of the Handley Page planes but not the Hastings, It looks like a passenger plane from the pic
Shame it was from the Wooden Wonders!!
John
Wiki is your friend...The Handley Page HP.67 Hastings is a retired British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and manufactured by aviation company Handley Page for the Royal Air Force (RAF).Great that you got it ID'd so quickly!, I've heard of the Handley Page planes but not the Hastings, It looks like a passenger plane from the pic
Shame it was from the Wooden Wonders!!
John
Given the discussion in this thread this may be of interest:
The Royal Air Force (RAF) had initially placed an order for 100 Hastings C1s; however, the last six were manufactured as weather reconnaissance versions, referred to as the Hastings Met. Mk 1, while seven other aircraft were subsequently converted to this standard. These weather reconnaissance aircraft were stripped of their standard interiors, the space being instead occupied by meteorological measuring and recording equipment, along with a galley and wardroom to improve crew comfort during routine flights of up to nine hours.
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An explanation was that years ago they had airfield dumping areas where all types of scrap metal ended up. The field that this bit was in had a perry track in it from the camp, obviously now its owned by the local farmer. Who knows this part could have been stripped out when they altered the planes for the above as you quoted…Met as you know flew out of here so you never know
No 511 Squadron RAF flew the Hasting from 1946 to 1958 and were at Lyneham from 1942 to 1947.
Other possibilities exist...
Edit See also No 99 Squadron RAF
Last edited by PickleB; 15th May 2022 at 20:05.
Is Beacon Hill very far, could have fallen from this one before it crashed? https://www.baaa-acro.com/city/beacon-hill
If its the Beacon Hill i know thats in Salisbury which is quite a long way from Lyneham
Okay!
Good to know what it's actually from.
I wonder if the records that would allow it to be linked to a specific aircraft are still in the National Archives. Unlikely but possible, although finding them would be harder than finding the panel.
I agree, the Mozzie place in London Colney is a great little museum
I asked the same question, sadly not..the stamping on the doors were only part specific, it could be used to narrow it down to a year or model but not a particular plane.
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