B-29 Crash site in Scotland

[rob justice]

Out on the dirt bikes today playing up in the hills on the west coast of Scotland.
Came up on a crashed B-29 Superfortrass. Because the plane crashed so far away from access roads etc - there's still a fair amount of the plane left.
2 engines, landing gear and what I think is the tail gunners position are all easily identified.
Quite sombre standing at the spot where 20 died. The accident happened in 1949. 20 servicemen returning home after doing their bit only not to make it.
Now back home - I've found a link:-
http://www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=594:20-died-in-1949-air-tragedy&catid=88:military&Itemid=462

[imcarthur]

That is very close to my ancestral home outside Inveraray. Thanks for posting.

Ian

[cashflyer]

Fellow Gàidheal decendents!
My family's ancestral grounds are further east, in the Strathmiglo area.

In the B29 link, I see a monument. I assume this area is to be left as a permanent memorial?

[rob justice]

The monument (or cairn as it's called here) is a permanent structure - it has a brass plaque attached that lists the names of the deceased, the date of the incident and type of plane involved.
Very sombre looking and identifying parts of the plane but touching nothing.
The tail gunners cabin was the most intact and it's hard to think what a shift spent inside must have felt like.
Protected from all sorts being thrown at them by a skin of alunimum. approx 1mm thick.

[rattlsnak]

I cant believe people havent stole some parts for keepsakes, or whatever.

[wdfifteen]

A B-29 must be a rarity in Europe. I didn't know they deployed any there during WWII. This must be a cold war relic.

[strupgolf]

After the B25's doing what they could, along came the B29's to finish the job. Many pictures of them in large groups and many shot down. They were a late addition to the war effort. Sorry, wrong on my part. I'm thinking of the B17, oh well, another day older.

[wdfifteen]

Got the link to work. 1949, so it was a casualty of the cold war.

[rob justice]

[strath44]

nice post.........

+1 can't believe that much is still there, although they were such large planes!

Been to a few Scottish crash sites and most are swallowed up by the terrain!

If you are into this sort of stuff this site below is also worth a look..........


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