At 10:15 a.m. on November 3, 1948, a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-29 took off on its final flight.
Takeoff took place at the British base of RAF Scampton, in the heart of England. The B-29 was a well-known bomber in World War II. This model was the one that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The protagonist of this story was an RB-29A, serial number 44-61999, a bomber modified for photo reconnaissance missions.
This aircraft was nicknamed "Over Exposed" and photographed nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean in July 1946. In Europe, the Over Exposed" was one of the aircraft that took part in the Berlin Airlift, bringing supplies to the western sector of the city after it was blockaded by the Soviets. At the time of takeoff from RAF Scampton, the aircraft was attached to the Strategic Air Command's (SAC) 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron.
Due to poor visibility caused by low cloud cover, this RB-29A crashed near the Higher Shelf Stones at Bleaklow, a moorland 600 metres above sea level in Derbyshire, at around 11:00 in the morning. All 13 occupants of the aircraft (11 crew and 2 passengers) died in the accident. An RAF rescue team located the wreckage that same day, at dusk. The bodies were removed the following day. There are still remains of the "Over Exposed" at the crash site today, as we can see in this video posted by Stephen J. Reid a few days ago:
You can see some screenshots from the video here. Access to the accident site is via a mountain trail. The video was recorded on a foggy day, with a landscape that looks like something out of the Dead Marshes episode of "The Lord of the Rings."
The plaque commemorating the accident. It was placed in November 1988, on the 40th anniversary of this tragedy.
One of the Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone piston engines of the crashed RB-29A at Bleaklow. The central part of the propeller is shown on the left.
One of the landing gear wheels of the RB-29A. It must be said that even today there are people who continue to bring flowers and other objects to this place, as a tribute to those who died in this accident.
Don't miss the news and content that interest you. Receive the free daily newsletter in your email: Click here to subscribe |
Opina sobre esta entrada: