Calverton, Nottinghamshire

[Ossington_2008]

I thought today would be a good time to post this one, as it's the aniversary of a Fairey Battle crash that killed three 300 Sqn Poles on 13-10-40, returning from Boulogne.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo322/Ossington_2008/BattlememorialOxton13-10-01.jpg

and closer,

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo322/Ossington_2008/Battlememorialclose-up13-10-01.jpg
both photos taken 13/10/01.

It is easy to get to, some 6 1/2 miles N of Nottingham, SK605517 approx, though it is now marked on the latest edition OS maps. Nearest village is Oxton, about a mile or so to the East. There is a footpath leading from the A614 up the NE side of Watchwood Plantation. This view looks NW, the road runs L/R, Nottingham to the left. The aircraft was attempting a forced landing in fog when it lost a wheel and ran into the trees, then quite short. I have been told that the memorial was erected soon after by men sinking Calverton Colliery nearby. The railway line was a post-war link to the pit.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo322/Ossington_2008/WatchwoodPlantationOblique4-3-95.jpg

[REF]

A photo of the memorial taken 5 May 2009
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/NOTTINGHAMSHIRE/Calverton/20090505Calverton17-1.jpg

[Miley]

I think this crash must be one that my friend's late father witnesed during WW2 and recalled to him but never mentioned the exact location. He lived near Papplewick pumping station which is just near the top of the aerial photo next to the railway line. It is also very near the runway of RAF Blidworth which is about a mile behind the trees top right of the Aerial photo.

[REF]

Miley - did you send a message via my website about this memorial?? If so I couldn't reply as there was no email address to reply to!

This is probably the best place to get an answer, Ossington is great with all things Nottinghamshire, especially memorials!

[Ossington_2008]

Sk 60481 51730 53.059432,-1.098998

[Miley]

Hi REF, yes it was me, just getting the hang of this site, I didn't realise the box on the pictures site was for my email address. Nice to hear from such an interesting group of people. I meet with a few members of RR heritage trust ( Hucknall) and they are a like minded bunch and a mine of information.

[Miley]

Had a walk up to the polish Battle Memorial this morning, most of the trees have been cleared around it now.

[Miley]

Hopefull this has the photo attached.

[REF]

Alot more light since I visited it last year, the trees did make it a bit dark! Nice photo too.

[Miley]

I may have been mistaken with the aircraft my friends late father saw as I have found out about a Wellington that crashed on 17th oct 1940 (N2773) near Papplwick pumping station. Grid ref SK58321. Anyone heard anything about it ?

[Ossington_2008]

311 Sqn (Czech) "Returning from from ops (Kiel), crew abandoned, crashed nr Blidworth"
One fatality, F/L Snajdr, presumably due to parachute malfunction.
Should your grid ref be SK583521? I was told by a friend that he once worked with a man who then cleaned out ditches for the local council. He came across a battered machine gun one day, but my friend didn't push him as to exactly where (alas) The feeling was, it was much further East, somewhere adjacent the A614.
I have a detector, fancy a shufti sometime?

[Miley]

Sounds a good idea, should be no problem getting acces to most of the land, main problem will be narrowing down the area involved.