Monument record MLI97758 - NAA P51C Mustang Aircraft Crash Site, Saxby Lowlands Farm
Summary
Crash site of a NAA P51C Mustang fighter aircraft, to the south-east of Saxby Lowlands Farm. The aircraft was designated 42-103007, and crashed during the Second World War.
Type and Period (3)
- AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE (Second World War - 1944 AD to 1944 AD)
- ARTEFACT SCATTER (Second World War - 1944 AD to 1944 AD)
- P51 MUSTANG (Second World War - 1944 AD to 1944 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A North American Aviation (NAA) P51C Mustang fighter aircraft crashed on land to the south-east of Saxby Lowlands Farm, on the 7th of June 1944. The aircraft was designated 42-103007 of the 555th Fighter Training Squadron, and was based at RAF Goxhill. It had been on a solo instrument training flight when it collided in mid air with another P51C Mustang from the same base. The collision sent this aircraft into a violent spin, before it hit the ground near Saxby Lowland Farm, to the north of RAF Faldingworth. The pilot, Second Lieutenant C.R. Moritz, was killed in the crash. The other aircraft, flown by Second Lieutenant R. Magnuson, crashed into a beck to the east of Owmby by Spital, although the pilot managed to bail out and survived (see PRN 56423). The crash site of Moritz's aircraft was confirmed in early 2011, after a metal detecting survey revealed an area of magnetic anomalies in this location. {1}
A subsequent excavation of the crash site was conducted in September 2011. The excavation recovered the remains of the pilot, which were returned for burial in the United States. Many small, fragmentary and corroded parts of the aircraft were also found, including a propeller blade, parts of the engine, and remains of most of the instrument panel, one part of which confirmed the aircraft's serial number. Some confusion as to the identities of the aircraft had been caused by the wartime reports of the crash, which had accidentally reversed the fates of the two planes in their records. {2}{3}{4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI13358 Unpublished Document: Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group. 2011. Project Design for Proposed Excavation of NA P51C Mustang 42-103036. -.
- <2> SLI16159 Report: Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group. 2012. Report on the Excavation of North American P51C Mustang, 42-103007. -.
- <3> SLI16160 Unpublished Document: Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group. 2012. Report of Items Removed Under Licence from Aircraft Crash Site, NAA P51C Mustang, Saxby Lowlands Farm. -.
- <4> SLI15183 Website: Bomber County Aviation Resource. 2008->. Bomber County Aviation Resource. http://www.bcar.org.uk/index. 1944 Crash Log.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | TF 027 868 (point) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SAXBY, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (2)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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