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On the night of 18th December 1943,in the midst of a heavy
overcast and darkened nights sky, a lone Liberator PB4Y-1
anti-submarine patrol bomber drifted towards the densely
populated area of Manchester in the north of England, there
were no crew members on board, fuel was running low and the
plane was laden with a deadly cargo of 6 depth charges and 2
specials (MK-24 Homing Torpedo Mines).
How did this plane become a `flying bomb`? Where were the
Crew? And where would it crash to earth?
To answer these three questions, we begin by going back in time
almost 60 years, to an area just off the Spanish coast known as
the `Bay of Biscay`. Here during WW2 a raging battle wore on
and this became known as the `Battle for the Atlantic`.
Deadly German U-Boats used this route to venture out into the
icy depths of the North Atlantic ocean, here they would lay in
wait for their prey, Battle Cruisers, Cargo Ships,Frigates &
Destroyers all fell victim to these lethal weapons of mass
destruction, and help was desperately needed to combat these
agressors.
During the early years of the war, squadrons of RAF Coastal
Command operated this stretch of water alone, but in 1943 they
were joined by our allies the Americans, and in Autumn of that
year the tables began to turn. PB4Y-1 (US Navy B-24 Liberators)
joined in the patrols from an RAF Station named Dunkeswell in
Devon, and it was on return from one of these patrols that PB4Y-1
63934 Piloted by Lt George H.Charno Jr ran into trouble.
Weather on the 18th December 1943 had been very poor, with 50 knot
winds & a heavy overcast experienced throughout the trip, Lt Charno
and crew had difficulty contacting base.Also in the air that day
was Lt Joe Kennedy, brother to the late president John F.Kennedy,
both arrived in the area of Dunkeswell about the same time,and the
weather over the airfield was getting worse, and was soon to be
closed in by fog. George Charno, knowing Joe was lower on fuel gave
up his landing slot and Joe made a successful landing. Lt Charno
though found that the fog had closed in, and the airfield gave him
bearings for a diversion to Beaulieu airfield, he climbed to a safer
height and made his way towards the airfield, however, when the crew
got close to the airfield,it too was closed in by bad weather,rain
got worse and cloud cover just got thicker, Having only 15-20 mins
fuel left,and fearing for the safety of the crew, Charno ordered the
crew to bale out, which they did.
Lt Charno then pointed the PB4Y-1 in a weaterly course, set the auto
pilot, and left the aircraft himself. The Liberator then unbeknownst
to George & crew, flew on towards Manchester,and running out of fuel
in one wing, engines stopped, and the aircraft was pulled over towards
the Peak District, gradually losing height and with nobody on board
to guide its direction,it ploughed into the soft peaty moor above
Carrbrook, in Stalybridge, Cheshire, known locally as Broken Ground,
approx 9 miles east of Manchester.
None of the deadly cargo exploded, and the crew, who had all baled
out over Lincolnshire, had all landed without any serious injuries.
The pilot Lt Charno was commended for his actions, and the crew all
lived to fly another day.
PILOT: LT. GEORGE H.CHARNO Jr.
Co-Pilot.LT. ROBERT G.WISSMAN.
Nav: Ens. CECIL R.COLYER.
Sig: AOM: WALTER O.LEVERING.
Radio: AMM3: DOUGLAS S.PETERSON.
Radio: ACRM: ARCHIE P.OLIVER.
Gunner: ARM3: WARREN W.OLSON.
Gunner: AOM3: WILLIAM J.CLAYTON.
Gunner: S2c: DEWEY M.CLARK.
Gunner: S2c: WINSTON C.KETCHEM.
Radio: ACRM1: BOYD S.BARBER.
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PB4Y-1 63934 - Peak District
