B-24J Liberator 42-52003 of the 310th Ferry Squadron, 27th Air Transport Group, crashed near Glossop on the 11th October 1944

Consolidated B-24 Liberator at the RAF Museum

 

Creighton R. Houpt 2nd Lieutenant Pilot Injured
Jerome M. Najvar Staff Sergeant Flight Engineer Injured

 

The aircraft was being ferried from Burtonwood to Hardwick by a two man ferry crew on the 11th October 1944, the two men took off in the aircraft from Burtonwood near Warrington at 10:32. The set a course of 135o and climbed to an indicated altitude of 2800 feet. At approximately 10:45 while in cloud and moderate to severe turbulence Lt Houpt spotted a small gap in the cloud and saw the ground was only about 150 feet below him. He then applied full power and began to climb, but before they could gain any meaningful height the aircraft struck the ground on Mill Hill some 1.5 miles from the Grouse Inn between Hayfield and Glossop.

The two men extricated themselves from the shattered cockpit and walked along one of the streams until they reached the Hayfield to Glossop road. A passing lorry driver stopped and picked them up and took them to a nearby pub where Lt Houpt telephoned Burtonwood to report the accident. They were then retrieved by an Ambulance from Burtonwood and their injuries were then treated. These were mainly cuts & bruises but Lt Houpt did suffer a broken jaw.

Section of wing near the crash site of Consolidated B-24 Liberator 42-52003, Mill Hill, Hayfield, Derbyshire
Close to the path up Mill Hill are the remains of an engine and part of a wing these were dumped here after the crash.
Remains of a Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine at the crash site of Consolidated B-24 Liberator 42-52003, Mill Hill, Hayfield, Derbyshire
This is the engine shown in the background of the last photograph it is one of the aircraft’s four R-2800 Twin Wasp engines
Crash site of Consolidated B-24 Liberator 42-52003, Mill Hill, Hayfield, Derbyshire
Above is where the aircraft was burned after the crash.
Crash site of Consolidated B-24 Liberator 42-52003, Mill Hill, Hayfield, Derbyshire
As well as burning much of the wreckage some was buried, it has since been uncovered and is shown in the foreground of this photo.