P-47D Thunderbolt 42-74728 of the 495th Fighter Training Group USAAF crashed on Greenway Hall Golf Course on the 24th August 1944 after the pilot lost control of the aircraft while performing aerobatics
Paul R. Fulton | 2nd Lieutenant | Pilot | Killed |
2nd Lt Fulton was on an instrument and aerobatics training flight from Atcham with another P-47. After completing the instrument phase of the flight both pilots commenced their assigned aerobatics training, while carrying out his second Immelman 2nd Lt Fulton lost control of his aircraft. The event was not seen by his wingman, as by the time he realised Fulton’s aircraft was missing it had already fallen into the cloud which was at ~6,000ft. The aircraft was heard to dive at high speed and under power into the ground. 2nd Lt Fulton abandoned his aircraft but was killed when he opened his parachute immediately after bailing out, this caused him to decelerate rapidly causing severe neck and spinal injuries, he came down near to Rudyard almost 5 miles from the crash site.

This was probably exaggerated when the site was excavated during the 1980s.

