Curtiss P40 Tomahawk AH744 on Red Gill Moss near Brough

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Curtiss P40 Tomahawk AH744 near Brough

10 February 1943. Flying Officer Henry E Wright RAF was killed when his Tomahawk crashed at Red Gill Moss in the North Pennines. While on a training flight in low cloud it appears he clipped the ground with a wing and cartwheeled across the moor, leaving 3 small craters littered with wreckage, now filled mostly with water and moss.

The Pennine Way at Baldersdale passes within about 4 miles of this place. It is one of the loneliest places in England, mile after mile of desolate moorland and even on a Bank Holiday the only person we saw all day was a hill farmer.

The piece I’m holding up here is part of the starboard wing. See the photo below which is of the rest of this wing.

Photo below from this site; North East Aircraft Museum
www.neam.org.uk/default.htm

AH744

29 comments on “Curtiss P40 Tomahawk AH744 on Red Gill Moss near Brough
  1. mickb6265 says:

    i could study these shots of yours for hours,ian…should be taught in schools,mate..

  2. mick cooke says:

    brilliant Ian,, that’s what you call dedication

  3. nondesigner59 says:

    Amazing how much wreckage remains on some sites.. Great shots.!!

  4. SolarScot. says:

    it was a fab looking plane Ian

  5. Nate Parker Photography says:

    shoulda been flying a spitfire, or at least a hawker hurricane!

  6. **Hazel** says:

    Amazing series of shots Ian, nice to see the size comparison of the wreckage, so much still there!! It is an amazing thing you are doing bringing these crash sites to peoples attention and always interesting to read the information!!!!:-)

  7. Tech Owl says:

    Quite a lot of debris Ian. The person in the top shot adds to the scale and the other shots are extra detail as often with your posts

  8. Lazenby43 says:

    Concur with the other comments. Interesting ’72 shots.

  9. pasujoba says:

    Great work Ian , well presented.
    Its clear that this panel on site is the loading hatches for the guns when compared to the wing at the museum
    Curtiss Tomahawk AH744

  10. Ian D B says:

    Many thanks everyone, I really appreciate the feedback, it’s what keeps us doing them.

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/32431958@N07]
    You really are so much better than me at identifying bits. I’d look at that and confidently announce, "That is definately from an aircraft!"

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/47218202@N02]

    I prefer Hurricanes to Spits, but I am pretty much on my own in that.

  11. Richard Tierney says:

    As per Ian… great work and research…. the amount of wreckage remaining is quite remarkable.. think its remoteness helps…. I would like to get here Ian….. On a smaller scale it looks to me on a par with Over Exposed. You had a great weekend weather wise :-))

    You and Paul do indeed do a wonderful job of keeping these sites and memories alive…

  12. gastephen says:

    Looks like a fair assortment of bits there, Ian! BTW, I am intrigued by your cross-moorland hiking attire in the shot of you holding up the wing section – where is your neck tie? 😉

    ~ Graham ~
    Drop by my photostream!

  13. redrocker_9 says:

    Wonderful as only you can do Ian~

  14. jerseyimage says:

    Interesting shot Ian, I still find it amazing to think that after all these years so much still remains to testify what happed at these locations.

    Must get back into Flickr – Cheers, M.

  15. pasujoba says:

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/maycontaintracesofnuts]
    Comes from a vivid imagination and reading shit loads of books ! 🙂

  16. stuant63 says:

    fascinating stuff as always, Ian

  17. Kingsdude/Dave says:

    Another fascinating and tragic story Ian – the clouds in the photo look very ominous and add to the atmospheric shot

  18. C J Paul (chris) says:

    brilliant set mate and thanks for the link to the 70’s site.your the man….

  19. andyholmfirth says:

    Like the peaty perspective to this Ian.Cracking sky too.

  20. P_H_I_L_L says:

    I agree with an earlier poster, your photostream should be taught in schools. Cracking as always Ian. Although your photos are what brings us all to flickr and your photostream, with your indepth back story behind every picture, it makes it so much more ‘valuable’ if you know what I mean.

  21. jane_t4 says:

    Brilliant work!

  22. Pleasureprinciple2012 says:

    Ian, that’s another great find and history lesson… but I’m more taken with the sharp dressed bloke in the shot! Here’s me with an image of you kitted with all the outdoor gear on and struggling through the elements with waterproofs, poles,crampons and hard hat when in actual fact you probably have your smoking jacket, tartan slippers and pipe with you as sit relaxing taking in the scene!

  23. Ian D B says:

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/25405934@N07]

    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/7717915@N02]

    LOL. If I could get away with it, I’d have a fedora on my head as well!

  24. ​favourite waste of time​ says:

    great colour contrast and mood here with that ominous sky and the debris

  25. Reflective Kiwi %-) says:

    Gosh I love this photo, fantastic composition! %-)
    Another fascinating read! Fancy him clipping a wing on the ground…. boy that really is low flying! Nice to see you in there too! %-)

  26. amyrey says:

    A lonely place to meet your end. I’m amazed there is so much of it still lying around.

  27. cgullz says:

    intriguing work, really. and nice to see it so well captured.

  28. IANLAYZELLUK says:

    Interesting Capture.

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