Halifax JP182, Eel Crag, Lake District, 24th Jan 1944.
Air Transport Auxiliary No14 Ferry Pool at Ringway .
Air Transport Auxiliary of 14 FP at Ringway (Manchester) airport,The Halifax is similar to the one which crashed at Eel Crag near Bassenthwaite in the Lake District killing F/Capt Bernard Short pictured here front row far right, and his Senior Flight Engineer Arthur Bird.
Photo: Bernard Short Jr.
On 24th January 1944 Halifax MKII JP182, left Kinloss for a cross country ferry flight to Kemble,Wiltshire. With the ATA crew of two it flew south and over the mountainous terrain of Scotland & the Lake District, in very strong headwinds gusting up to 60 mph, and flying through a blizzard,the aircraft struck the 2,749ft peak some 50ft below the summit and exploded.there were no survivors.
At an inquiry by the ATA it was said that pilot should have taken a course around the coast to avoid the high ground, but seemed to have opted for a shorter route. The weather of course played its part in the loss of JP182,With snow, high winds and possible downdraughts over the hills.
The Salvage of Halifax JP182.
No.83 MU Salvage Team attended the crash in early Summer of 1944,Whilst the team were recovering the wreckage for transfer by the old mine track by lorry, one of the team slipped and fell and had to been taken to Keswick hospital.
Photo: Bill Middleton, Via Peter Dobson.
Pilot of JP182 - Flight Captain Bernard Short.
Bernard Short was a very experienced pilot who had been flying aircraft since gaining his private pilots licence in 1937, at the time of the accident he had logged 1,941 solo flying hours, 89 of which were on the Halifax.
Photo: Bernard Short Jr.
Eel Crag in good weather.
The view of the mountain in clear weather,a very different scenario from the conditions that met F/Capt Short in Jan 44.
Photo: Eric Crone.
The Remains 52 years on.
Some sparse remains of the Halifax below the crag,small pieces also litter the dangerous scree.
Part numbers confirm the type
Part numbers bearing `57` for Handley Page 57 defining the type as a Halifax brings home the reality of the events. Numbers here were 57509 C25 which was a piece of alloy from the fuselage structure.
Read more of Bernard Short`s flying career in Volume two of Hell on High Ground. See books page for details.
A poignant reminder of one of yesterdays heroes.
Bernard Short`s ATA headstone in Ringway (St.Mary) Churchyard,Ringway,Manchester.
Halifax JP182 - Lake District
