Puzzle Picture Page

Whilst researching for the books, I quite often find snippets
of info & pictures that I know very little about,so put them
to one side until I have the opportunity to set about identifying
them. The creation of this new website, I hope will now give me
that opportunity to put names to faces, and identify aircraft &
locations etc, with of course your help.

If you have any information regarding the pictures on this page,
you can either leave a message on `The Landing Ground`forum,
or send me an e-mail at: Dave@earl25.fsnet.co.uk


	SWORDFISH PRANG - ORKNEY

Fairey Swordfish, looks to be Nr Hatston, Kirkwall, Orkney,
possibly in a field nr the Bay of Weyland, as what looks to
be a distillery is pictured in the background, also in the
original clearer shot,a cargo ship can be seen in the Bay.
It could also be near Scapa Bay, as the Scapa Distillery is
just adj to the Bay. Aircraft is possibly of 771 Sq, or 832
Sq. Perhaps 1940 -42.

Brian Booth replies : It would seem the photo was taken near Craigiefield to

the NNE of Kirkwall. It was a result of pilot error - he'd forgotten to check the

tanks were full before taking off!
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Source: Sky over Orkney 1939-1945 by Gregor Lamb.


	CHESAPEAKE PRANG - ORKNEY

Chesapeake AL948 Pranged on 3/7/43 nr RNAS Twatt,
(HMS Tern)the two crew were S/Lt Mence & L/A Griffin.
of 771 Sq. What I need to know is, how far from the
airfield? Direction from field N,S,E or West?. And what
was the cause of the forced landing?


	WELLINGTON PRANG - SW ENGLAND

This picture of a 14 Sq Coastal Command Wellington from
RAF Chivenor, appeared in Keith Saunders book `Devon
Aerodromes in Old Photographs` in 1994, Keith, nor I ever
found out anything about the circumstances, other than it
must have crashed sometime between 24th Oct 44 and 1st
June 45,as this is when the squadron was based there. It
does look to be on high ground,so perhaps Exmoor, or Bodmin
Moor? More likely to be 1944 as there was a heavy snow in
Jan 45.


	MARTLET / WILDCAT PRANG - ORKNEY

This Grumman Martlet or Wildcat force landed wheels up on the
Isle of Westray, 24th April 1943, between Berridale & Fiold,
locals dug a ditch to lower the undercart and pull her out
using two tractors. The aircraft was with the RN Fleet Air
Arm at Hatston, believed to have been on charge with 878 Sq,
and as you can see it carried the code letter `H`, which so
far has not helped ID the serial number, or find the name of
the pilot involved who was OK. Any help in tracing this a/c
would be very much appreciated.


	RADIAL ENGINE - PAXOI ISLE, S of CORFU.

I found this engine against a hotel wall, next to the Police Stn,
in the harbour capital of Paxi Gaios, Paxoi Island, south of Corfu,
it is almost certainly a Pegasus , but what was it from? The local
Policeman said it came from a Seaplane and was dragged up a mile or
so off the Island by fishermen, and it was from the war but that`s
all he could tell me.

It is a 9-cylinder Pegasus radial which could have been from a good
number of aircraft, Walrus, Sunderland,Swordfish and the like, so
any suggestions would be most welcome.