Short Stirling LK561 - 1661 HCU Point Clear 25/09/44

[Bristolhercules4]

Hi,
During the 1990's I was a member of the Martello Tower Museum at St.Osyth's....Point Clear, Essex, where Short Stirling LK561 - GP-A came to grief on the 25th September 1944, Up on a training flight from RAF Winthorpe...1661 HCU eight of the crew baled out leaving the pilot, Pilot Officer S.A. Hill whose body it is said was found in the wreckage.
I visited this site on a number of occasions with the late Bill Gadd....and was told that before the Royal Navy blew the wreck up in nineteen hundred and I don't know when.......that the wreck was substanitially complete. I do know that the fuselage door was recovered because I saw it......and the tower museum do have items on display from the aircraft. Because the site is tidal duralium parts have been attacked by salt water corrosion which is from past experience very difficult to deal with. The only item I have for myself is one of the aircrafts cooling gills which I found beneath the mud, I found the pilots grave in a private Church Yard ......Heston, ISLEWORTH Cemetery, Midlesex. There is no Commonwealth War Grave headstone above his grave as he is in a private grave with his parents. For a number of years now I have been trying to find either a photograph of the aircraft or Pilot Officer S.A. Hill, RAF..........I checked the Stirling File and there is no indication that the aircraft served with any other Squadrons . Can any of the other members answer any of these questions for me please ??. The Stirling has always been my favourite of the four engined heavies and for years I've hoped that like the RAF Museum's Hampden.....and Halifax.......that one day a Stirling will be found lying intact somewhere. But as the years have gone bye it's looking like it may never happen. As a new member I hope I can be of some benefit to the society.......many thanks.

[K4KittyCrew]

Great post, mate. Welcome to our friendly forum.
I trust that if anyone can help you, the members here can.
My father also flew with 1661 HCU.
We also look forward to you contribution to the forum.
Cheers,
John

[Bristolhercules4]

Hello John,
Many thanks for your friendly welcome......yes I was looking at some of the photographs that appear to be the only 1661HCU pictures in the Societies archive....but then I've never seen any anywhere else yet.
Best wishes Trevor.

[K4KittyCrew]

Hi Trevor, if I remember rightly ................ I'm pretty certain I've posted photos of a lanc with 1661 HCU codes and of course, the Short Stirling, as such. I believe they are under separate posts.
Footnote - There are hundreds of photos of aircraft, crews, records etc. posted in these forums.
All you need is the time to enjoy them.
Cheers,
John

[willwilliams]

Hi ,

I am the secretary now for the East Essex Aviation Museum. Please find attached a copy of the crash report for LK561. I have been also looking for Photo's but have not had any luck. The report makes for interesting reading. The guys say hello.

http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q60 ... ard001.jpg
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q60 ... ntCard.jpg

Al l the best
Will

[K4KittyCrew]

Congratulations on your appointment, Will. many thanks for your documentation. I hope we can assist each other with such details.
Cheers,
John

[ajgatessex]

Hi fellow members and former members of the point clear museum, I was a founder member with the late Bill Gadd and this was the first aircraft that the museum actualy got any substantual parts of, a local chap asked us what we were looking for as we grazed over the sea wall and pointed out to Bill what looked like a line of sticks sticking out of the mud some 200yards away (silly me thought I would see a plane sitting on the mud) we were looking for a Blenheim or Beaufighter at the time and after going the shortest route to the sticks we became bogged down up to our knees so turned back and found another way, there was at that time around 1985 ish still one of the engines on site, this was lost during a salvage attempt and is now a resident in a Colchester scrap yard, or it was, it is down to Bills efforts that we found out what aircraft this was and from were it came, I have some photos of Bill on site and some cartoons by Trevor Williams of our efforts in the mud, I have late last year and May this year been back out on site and there is still some parts to be found, it is hard going but always worth the effort, I thought I heard a chuckel the last time I went out, or may have been the breeze, what ever it was thanks Bill, it will always be your museum part dedicated to 1661 HCU, I have the original badge to prove it, god bless and good luck to all aviation diggers.

[K4KittyCrew]

Thanks for your post, ''ajgatessex' and welcome to the forum.

We are always looking for photos from site expeditions, so please contact me or one of the other 'mods' if you require any assistance to post them here on the forum pages.
We have a couple members who many 'items' from different aircraft, especially the Short Stirling, for example .......... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... twzv_ZxBXg
Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures.
Cheers,
John

[s1chris]

Hello all,
New to the site and I am looking for further information about this plane if possible.
Could anybody tell me the camouflage/paint scheme? Also is anybody able to scan a good copy of the crash report please?
The plan is to display the crash report copies with my relics and model of this plane when complete.
Great site by the way.

Thanks Chris

[K4KittyCrew]

Hi Chris and welcome to the forum. Looks like this aircraft many interested in it,
Steve ' Smudger' Smith ............... our Group 2 Researcher had posted some details, along with others that you can copy, resize and paste.

The only details I have are ( from The Stirling Story by MJF Bowyer )........... LK561 - Squadron code GP-A, arrived at 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit 23/04/1944, EFA - Write off as a result of flying accident due to non operational flying 25/09/1944, prop fell off then port engine gave trouble, crew baled out, crashed near St Osyth, Essex, 03:00 hrs.

Cheers,
John
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q ... 6786465242