Newbie re airplanes in New England

[ericwiberg]

Hi! I find airplanes, particularly 1930 to 1960s, focus on WWII. I am on SCUBA Board because your team has skills and knowledge I need to find the planes. I have extensive archival research knowledge and have completed over 45 books and some 1,000 articles. I'm in Boston. My targets range from a pond in Norwalk CT to RI, western MA, Graves Light / Nahant, lakes, Lakeville, Mashpee, and shallow waters. I don't own a boat and am on a pretty tight budget. A target in Jamestown I snorkel over via kayak but it's not good enough in all that current and cold. I would appreciate help and knowledge and expertise in exchange for which I may be able to help lead you to aircraft. I found or located 10 in a 1.5 year period in Bahamas last year (Warplanes Lost & Found in The Bahamas on Amazon). I hope to work together; i'm in the 'gig' economy and have a strong 4WD Exterra with lots of outdoors stuff ready to learn and go!

 

[Cthippo]

Hello and welcome!

I am on the wrong coast for you, but am interested in aircraft wrecks. I have one in particular I would like to research, though it is 50 miles from the water, if you have access to archives.

 

[ericwiberg]

thanks and sure please send basic info I can give research a shot. I work on land and sea and lake

 

[Cthippo]

PBY Catalina that crashed in Oregon in 1946 in the forest near Tiller or Drain, OR. Someplace referred to as "Tombstone Gulch". My Great-grandfather worked for the Forest Service at the time and took my great uncle, who was a child at the time, with him to search for the crash when it was reported. They found at least one of the crew alive and recovered the bodies of the others.

He took me out to the area where it happened once when I was a kid, but an hour of humping hills did not reveal any wreckage, and who knows I'd we were actually in the right location 50 years later. Still, I would like to make another run at it some day if I can find more info.

 

[DonFlorida]

I’m originally from Maine. I have been told there is a WW II plane at the bottom of Sebago Lake. I’ve never researched or seen it. Just something I’ve heard several times over the years. Because of your post I am now, after decades, going to research it!

Wow! Looks like it’s pretty common knowledge. All this time I thought it was folklore.
Article

 

[ericwiberg]

Thanks will have a look at this. Found a PBY in Bahamas this year.

 

[ericwiberg]

Don - good news. Found the 2 fighters crashed in 300' of water in Sebago Lake Maine which incidentally my teen son and I once paddled in. The 1944 crashes killed 2 Royal Navy pilots so that when they were found and discovered they remained untouched since as war graves. My colleague Jim Nash wrote this article - so you were right! Eric

Sebago Lake, ME. - May 16, 1944 | New England Aviation History

Sebago Lake, ME. - May 16, 1944

newenglandaviationhistory.com

 

[ericwiberg]

PBY Catalina that crashed in Oregon in 1946 in the forest near Tiller or Drain, OR. Someplace referred to as "Tombstone Gulch". My Great-grandfather worked for the Forest Service at the time and took my great uncle, who was a child at the time, with him to search for the crash when it was reported. They found at least one of the crew alive and recovered the bodies of the others.

He took me out to the area where it happened once when I was a kid, but an hour of humping hills did not reveal any wreckage, and who knows I'd we were actually in the right location 50 years later. Still, I would like to make another run at it some day if I can find more info.

Hi again I'm still working on this, have managed to find that jet in Johns Pond Mashpee - part of a F84C Thunderbolt wrecked 20 March 1949 - then was working on a Graves Light house in the past 3 days and tomorrow to Bahamas for a B-26 near shore. I am asking wiser minds than I for help. Best Eric

 

[ericwiberg]

I poked around for an hour and could not get the geography to match. I saw a Catalina crash in Kalmath OR in 1965 but does not seem a match. I doubt I can help much with this one I'm afraid, it falls outside wartime losses and any area I'm familiar with.

Hi again I'm still working on this, have managed to find that jet in Johns Pond Mashpee - part of a F84C Thunderbolt wrecked 20 March 1949 - then was working on a Graves Light house in the past 3 days and tomorrow to Bahamas for a B-26 near shore. I am asking wiser minds than I for help. Best Eric

 

[Cthippo]

I poked around for an hour and could not get the geography to match. I saw a Catalina crash in Kalmath OR in 1965 but does not seem a match. I doubt I can help much with this one I'm afraid, it falls outside wartime losses and any area I'm familiar with.

OK, Thanks for looking.