Site last updated 1st February 2012

Peak District Air Accident Research

PB4Y-1 Liberator Bu. No. 63934 of VB 110 USN crashed on Broken Ground near Mossley 18th December 1943.

Image: Mark Sheldon

Crew / Passengers	Rank - If Applicable	Position e.g. Pilot	Status
George Charno Jnr	Lieutenant	Pilot	OK
Robert G. Wissman	Lieutenant Junior Grade	Co-pilot	OK
Cecil R. Colyer	Ensign	Navigator	OK
Walter O. Levering	AOM	Signaller	OK
Douglas S. Peterson	AMM 3	Radio Operator	OK
Archie P. Oliver	AMM 3	Radio Operator	OK
Warran W. Olson	ARM 3	Gunner	OK
Dewey M. Clark	Seaman 2nd Class	Gunner	OK
Winston C. Ketchem	Seaman 2nd Class	Gunner	OK
Boyd S. Barber	ACRM 1	Radio Operator	OK

Thanks to Dave Earl for the crew list.

The crew had been carrying out an anti U-Boat patrol over the Bay of Biscay from their home station at Dunkeswell in Devon. On returning they found that the station was fog bound and were advised to divert to RAF Beaulieu. Similar weather conditions existed here but they were preparing to land using a QGH approach when they lost radio contact. After this the crew headed north in the hope of finding an airfield that was not obscured by cloud or fog. By the time they had reached the north east Midlands around Lincolnshire the aircraft was all but out of fuel and when the pilots calculated the aircraft had about another 15 minutes of fuel the crew were ordered to bale out. All came down safely, while the aircraft (being flown by its primitive auto-pilot system) continued on flying in a westerly direction for some distance before eventually consuming its remaining fuel and crashing on the open hillside above Mossley.

This is the area on Broken Ground where the aircraft crashed, very little remains today, During 2001 the undercarriage legs and engines were buried. To see photos of the site before the larger parts were buried click here

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