Aircrew Remembrance Society (.com) website was forced to close.

In order to begin the reconstruction of our remembrance site without any further delay, on the 2nd January, purchased a new domain aircrewremembrancesociety.co.uk and a new Apple computer on the 15th, along with the necessary software to reproduce our site to its former respected design.

We we’re pleased to announce on the 16th of January that our chairmans son and life long member of our remembrance society, Alexander King, was appointed Webmaster for our site.

With general site layout, categories and links already constructed as of the 1st February, we had hoped that the site rebuild of previous material would be able to proceed at a fairly reasonable pace. Unfortunately this was not the case as back up files previously prepared proved inadequate. This meant that all previous remembrance pages would have to be constructed from scratch, using the material stored on our computers held at numerous storage locations in our squadrons archive collections. This would therefore be an ongoing task for some time, Numerous new pages were also under construction, with many new and old contacts providing material, and it was hoped that the site would soon be gaining momentum.

Alex King with a section of wing spar found at the site 29th March.

The society applied and was granted a M.O.D. Licence (No. 1737.) with regard to the investigation into the crash of an O.T.U. Wellington. A preliminary scan of the site in March, in preparation for an in depth search around August when the site has been harvested, reviled a number of readings, with the section of wing spar Alex is holding, that was protruding from the soil.

Proposed Memorial to B-17 Pilot 1st Lt. Don DeLisle after information request on the 4th April.

Our Chairman David seen here when chairman of The Booker Aircraft Museum, in the museums U.S.A.A.F. section. Items from the B-17 in Question recovered in the early 80s, that include a section of wing with national insignia, and propeller blade can be seen on the right.

On Tuesday 28th May a party of five relatives of F/Lt M.S. Buchanan D.F.C., his sister, three nephews and a niece, called in to pay their respects at the crash site memorial to the crew of Wellington R1451. The family were on their way to Leeds to visit the crash site and grave of F/Lt  Buchanan, who was sadly killed in the crash of Halifax MZ810. The organizer of the trip was John Buchanan, (second left wearing bush hat in photo above), who is a relative by marriage to Patricia ne ‘Johnston’ (Niece of P/O S.M. Johnston) the Navigator killed on Wellington R1451.

Relatives from Australia visit pilots grave and the site where his Mitchell aircraft crashed.

On the 22nd of August our Chairman David King arranged to meet with Jane McGrath and her husband Peter in Oxford, on the occasion of Jane’s pilgrimage to England on behalf of her mother, to visit the graves of her Uncle Flying Officer John Ledgerwood and his crew. Upon arriving at the Botley Cemetery Oxford, David was able to show Jane to the grave locations, whereupon framed photos, crosses and flags prepared by A.R.S. were placed upon the graves to co-inside with Jane’s Visit. Later that morning David drove Jane and Peter to the crash site of John’s Mitchell Bomber at Steeple Claydon, a distance of some 25 miles from the cemetery.

Although the majority of this aircraft was removed at the time of the crash, still many interesting small finds were made.

This recovery was undertaken in memory of eight crew killed when this aircraft crashed. Before the recovery started a few words were spoken on behalf of the crew, and a minutes silence held.

to view the Archeology page please see Here.

The Society was sorry to have to announce the sad loss of fellow researcher and historian Martin Johnson, who passed away suddenly in March 2014, aged 51. All of us at the Society offered our heartfelt condolences to all Martins family and friends at this sad time.

Martin during one of his many high ground investigations, seen right in May 1999 with main undercarriage from B-24H 42-9841. 492nd Bomb Group.

During his lifetime Martin built up a large collection of artifacts from the many sites he visited over many decades, building a substantial data base and photographic record, centered mainly around high ground wrecks in the Peak District. The Aircrew Remembrance Society is honored to preserve this collection in Martins memory. Martin was a dedicated researcher who will also be remembered on the pages to those his life time’s work remembers, not only on our present day pages, but also along with all our work, recorded by The British Library for all future generations to come. We would like to thank Martin’s long-time friend John Melton for his help in our preservation of Martin’s material, and his support for the family.

Back on the 21st June 2014 the Aircrew Remembrance Society undertook an investigation under M.O.D. Licence 1773, into the loss of B-17 42-31469 of the 306th Bomb Group. The aircraft had crashed on take-off on the 26th April 1944, following an engine fire. It completely disintegrated and burned, killing everyone on board except the tail gunner Sgt. George Littlefield. (A full report can be found in our 1944 U.S.A.A.F. Losses Here)

Seen Right - Remains of B-17 42-31469 the day after the crash. (King A.R.S. Archives)

To further the remembrance work of the society, a stall was obtained at The Buck’s County show in August. Many new contacts were made with farmers and as a result two further crash sites are now under investigation. We were also able to assist numerous members of the public with research information relating to loved ones, and further remembrance pages are soon to be added to the site. A special thanks to Alex King and Ryan Stevens for organising the event, and the distribution of many leaflets on behalf of the society.