P-38J Lightning 42-67670 crashed on Strines Moor near Leek on the 22nd December 1943.

 

Guy A. Senesac 2nd Lieutenant Pilot OK

 

On the 22nd December 1943 2nd Lt Senesac of the 310th Ferry Squadron, 27th Air Transport Group, was tasked to fly a Lockheed P-38J from Warton near Preston to King’s Cliffe which is in Northamptonshire between Corby and Stamford and close to RAF Wittering.

He took off at 09:30 and after circling Warton to wait for a second P-38 which was also heading to King’s Cliffe headed south to Burtonwood before turning south east onto a direct track towards their destination. After flying on that course for some time he noticed the weather ahead appeared poor and decided to turn back but soon entered cloud. In the cloud he became disorientated and after attempting to climb to a safe altitude noticed his climb/descent indicator was showing a a rate of descent of 2,000ft per minute. Knowing that his altitude was not much above the ground in the area, and having had a previous accident only 11 days before, 2nd Lt Senesac decided to abandon the aircraft. He released the canopy, bailed out and quickly opened his parachute and shortly after the canopy opened fully hit the ground relatively hard but only received cuts & bruises which were attended to at Leek Hospital.

The aircraft dived into the ground a short distance away on rough pasture land on Morridge not far from the Leek to Buxton road and was completely destroyed.

 

Small piece of wreckage at the crash site of Lockheed P-38J 42-67670 on Strines Moor near Leek, Staffordshire
A small part from the aircraft. Until recently there was more wreckage at the crash site but this has been removed. 42-67670 was the second aircraft the Guy Senesac had lost in 11 days, the first being near Cronkstone Grange between Buxton and Ashborne.