North-West Aircraft Wrecks: New Insights into Dramatic Last Flights (Aviation Heritage Trail)

by NickWotherspoon (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2006

  $4.17

  This book is a different approach to aviation archaeology, as the author, together with small, but dedicated, team of fellow enthusiasts explore aircraft crash sites in the North West of England, treating each of the incidents selected to detailed in-depth research and meticulous on-site investigation. Each of the eighteen chapters explores, in previously unpublished detail, the background to an incident, the units, aircraft and airmen involved, as well as the conclusions drawn from piecing together the story and the artefacts uncovered. Emphasis is placed on revealing who these individuals were, their previous service history and subsequent flying career, if they survived, often based on accounts from their friends, comrades and relatives, giving a unique insight into the human story behind each geographical site. Many of the projects have involved major excavations to uncover the remains of these aircraft and this work is described in detail by the author, who actually organised and attended the digs, sharing with the reader the excitement of the discovery of important artefacts that have lain buried and forgotten for some 60 years or more. These digs and the finds uncovered are illustrated throughout, together with period photographs of pilots and crew members and many 'then and now' comparisons of the crash sites themselves. The addition of a comprehensive index and appendices giving outline details of nearly 2000 other incidents also make this work a valuable reference resource in its own right.