Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 of the 709th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, Crashed on Meltham Moor 6th April 1945

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

 

Winston Johnson 2nd Lieutenant Pilot Injured (died in 1961 due to his injuries)
Raymond Parks 2nd Lieutenant Co-pilot Injured
Walter Vukelic 2nd Lieutenant Navigator Injured
Robert Schnug Sergeant Engineer Injured
Robert Woodbeck Sergeant Radio Operator Injured

 

The aircraft was on a test flight to put hours onto new engines which had been fitted to the aircraft. The flight was from Rattlesden near Stowmarket in Suffolk.  The crew decided to head towards Manchester (for no real reason) when they got bored of flying around Suffolk but entered cloud on nearing the Pennines and became lost. While descending through cloud they struck the gently rising ground on Meltham Moor.

Crash site of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire
A general view of where the remains of 43-37667 now lie, in and around a small water course on Meltham Moor.
Undercarriage wreckage at the crash site of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire
The two main under carriage legs can be found amongst the wreckage, they were badly damaged by the burning of the wreckage shortly after the crash.
Crash site of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire
A more recent view of the crash site, which now lies just inside the danger area surrounding a firing range at Deer Hill on the edge of Marsden.
Crash site of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37667 on Meltham Moor, West Yorkshire
Looking down hill from the crash site in 2003.