Hike to an Air Disaster

[woodsorrel]

Hi Everyone!


We often hike to waterfalls, mountain tops, and beautiful views. But some of the most rewarding hikes involve the rediscovery of local history. The mountains where I reside are dotted with long abandoned shingle mills, logging camps, and farmsteads from the 1800's and early 1900's. Each tells a story. There is something timeless and awe inspiring about visiting a ruin and imagining what it is like to live in that time.

For the second time, I hiked to the crash site of Resolution. British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Flight 304 departed Honolulu bound for San Francisco in October 28, 1953. And as the DC-6 climbed into the night it immediately encountered problems.

The rest, as they say, is history...

The picture above is a shot of the ill-fated airliner. Here are two pictures from my hike:

As I researched the crash, I became more and more fascinated by the story. Background information about the crash and more pictures can be found here.


Has anyone done some "historical hiking" lately? I would guess that it is almost unavoidable in a place with as much history as the UK. I read Harvestman's thread about "industrial history" with great interest (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127865).

Regards,

- Woodsorrel

 

[Harvestman]

Very interesting story.

You are right about almost being unable to avoid history over here. My local area was where the industrial revolution began. Here is a picture of a memorial plaque for a mining disaster close to me. What the plaque doesn't say is that about a week before there had been a smaller accident at a nearby colliery, Glyn colliery, where 5 people died. that colliery closed for repairs, and many of the men moved to work at Llanerch colliery instead, and a week later were killed in this second explosion.

 

[woodsorrel]

Very interesting story.

You are right about almost being unable to avoid history over here. My local area was where the industrial revolution began. Here is a picture of a memorial plaque for a mining disaster close to me. What the plaque doesn't say is that about a week before there had been a smaller accident at a nearby colliery, Glyn colliery, where 5 people died. that colliery closed for repairs, and many of the men moved to work at Llanerch colliery instead, and a week later were killed in this second explosion.

Wow, 176 people *is* a disaster. Can you still look into (or hike into) the mineshaft?

- Woodsorrel

 

[Harvestman]

Wow, 176 people *is* a disaster. Can you still look into (or hike into) the mineshaft?

- Woodsorrel

No it is sealed off. There are no working mines locally, and all the shafts are sealed, and many have been lost through redevelopment. Hence my developing interest in what is around me, while it still remains.

 

[British Red]

Personally I have never understood the desire to visit sites of horror and tragedy. It always seems ghoulish and voyeuristic.

 

[Harvestman]

Personally I have one understood the desire to visit sites of horror and tragedy. It always seems ghoulish and voyeuristic.

I can see that point of view. The first time I visited the Llanerch colliery site I was just exploring, and happened upon the memorial, having not known it was there or ever heard of the disaster beforehand. I found it a poignant reminder of just how tough life was for miners, and my grandfather was one in his youth.

 

[woodsorrel]

Personally I have one understood the desire to visit sites of horror and tragedy. It always seems ghoulish and voyeuristic.

British Red, I agree that visiting a site solely because it was the scene of a disaster is a bit morbid. In my case, I found the story of the ill-fated flight fascinating. I did a little flying in the past, so that might have peaked my interest as well. But it was also a chance to hike into the mountains and view history. That was the compelling reason for my visit.

Not all historic sites have to be disasters. Years ago I had the opportunity to hike around the abandoned Mercury and Gemini launch pads. Although they were not very old (1960's), they made quite an impact on me. Talk about "ghosts from the past!"

- Woodsorrel

 

[Toddy]

Sometimes folks do a load of research before they go looking for areas. It can add greatly to a walk.

The Scots might dispute Mike's claim to the start of the Industrial Revolution being there.....as might the northern English
Let's just agree that the UK was the first 'industrialised' nation, and concommitantly, the first truly urbanised nation.
Arguably we are also the first 'post industrial' nation now though.

Mining disasters, shipping disasters, battlefields....it's hard to get away from them on our busy islands.
Locally, not two miles away and across the river from us, at Blantyre, 207 men and boys died in a disaster caused by firedamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blantyre_mining_disaster

More men were killed in disasters the following two years.

Now, to walk the area it's very calm, very green and tree covered where it's not built upon. The spoil heap from the pits semi blocked the river and it changed it's flow until it scoured out the bank again. Looking at the river now, you'd never know how much waste went into it back then.

M

 

[British Red]

I can see that point of view. The first time I visited the Llanerch colliery site I was just exploring, and happened upon the memorial, having not known it was there or ever heard of the disaster beforehand. I found it a poignant reminder of just how tough life was for miners, and my grandfather was one in his youth.

That makes complete sense. Understanding something that happened in an area you are walking in is totally understandable. Its the desire to visit a location specifically because its a scene of horror I find disturbing.

 

[Harvestman]

Sometimes folks do a load of research before they go looking for areas. It can add greatly to a walk.

The Scots might dispute Mike's claim to the start of the Industrial Revolution being there.....as might the northern English
Let's just agree that the UK was the first 'industrialised' nation, and concommitantly, the first truly urbanised nation.
Arguably we are also the first 'post industrial' nation now though.

Mining disasters, shipping disasters, battlefields....it's hard to get away from them on our busy islands.
Locally, not two miles away and across the river from us, at Blantyre, 207 men and boys died in a disaster caused by firedamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blantyre_mining_disaster

More men were killed in disasters the following two years.

Now, to walk the area it's very calm, very green and tree covered where it's not built upon. The spoil heap from the pits semi blocked the river and it changed it's flow until it scoured out the bank again. Looking at the river now, you'd never know how much waste went into it back then.

M

I won't rise to the bait, as it would sidetrack the thread.

Instead, here's a bit of history that is a walk in itself, and not a disaster. The Monmouthshire & Brecon canal, a great engineering achievement built to transport goods to and from the industrial areas.

 

[Toddy]

No baiting, just social statistics and a lot of history

We often miss the personal bit about disasters; the way that the loss of the workers literally caused deprivation, homelessness, starvation, etc., among their families. The scenes of the disasters mention numbers, and occasionally names, but background reseach adds in so much more detail.
For the mining disasters the investigations and the local parish records give so much insight into both the causes, and the effects on the families. The mining records are available on-line.
http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/site/disasters/

Aircraft disasters and crashes though, to return to the OP, most of the sites here are of wartime origin. I met a man who works as part of a volunteer archaeology team that researches, traces and excavates wartime air crashes. Quite fascinating to listen to him talk about the work they do, and the quite remote areas that they have to reach to do the work too. Upland moors and hillsides, for instance.
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/

I could see those being a good walk with an interesting focus.

M

 

[woodsorrel]

... I met a man who works as part of a volunteer archaeology team that researches, traces and excavates wartime air crashes. Quite fascinating to listen to him talk about the work they do, and the quite remote areas that they have to reach to do the work too. Upland moors and hillsides, for instance.
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/

I could see those being a good walk with an interesting focus.

M

Hmmm... I wonder if there is a resource like this in my area. Thanks, Toddy!

There was a lot of gold mining and quick-silver (mercury) mining where I live. You can still look/hike into many of the shafts. This discussion has started me thinking that I should check with local historical societies to see if there are any exciting sites in my area.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Toddy]

Local historians can be (no pun intended ) literally goldmines of information

Thing is too though; there has always been some kind of authority who has either the desire or the right to investigate a lot of the disasters and accidents, and those people wrote reports and kept records.
The Archivists are an incredibly under-rated resource, small newspapers, Church records, burgh and council records, etc., are all full of the most fascinating social history that rewards those with the patience to go and look.

M

 

[Limaed]

Personally I have never understood the desire to visit sites of horror and tragedy. It always seems ghoulish and voyeuristic.

I think it depends on the context in which the visit is done. Like the OP I quite often visit sites of old aircraft crashes and there are many in the UK hills. They provide an interesting memorial to the sacrifice of others as most are from the second world war and now provide a physical place of remembrance. Having been involved in quite a few searches for missing aircraft (and subsequent post crash management) myself I find a real connection with each story.

 

[British Red]

I think it depends on the context in which the visit is done. Like the OP I quite often visit sites of old aircraft crashes and there are many in the UK hills. They provide an interesting memorial to the sacrifice of others as most are from the second world war and now provide a physical place of remembrance. Having been involved in quite a few searches for missing aircraft (and subsequent post crash management) myself I find a real connection with each story.

Searching for a (currently) missing aircraft is of course laudable. In my view deciding to spend ones leisure time seeking out the location where fellow humans plunged screaming to a horrific death is disturbingly macabre. I am very happy that permits are needed to interfere with military crash sites and that they are not given where bodies have not been recovered.

 

[rik_uk3]

Visiting the like of http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ could be seen by some here (according to their posts) as being morbid et al, on a personal level I'd like to see more youngsters visit them. Thankfully many Schools here in South Wales arrange visits.

 

[Paul_B]

Personally I have never understood the desire to visit sites of horror and tragedy. It always seems ghoulish and voyeuristic.

I agree with you up to a point. I once took a detour on a walk in round the Coniston horseshoe to see the WWII plane crash memorial on the slopes of Grey Friars. I am so glad I have seen it. I was on my own, having a really good day, and I read the plaque that listed the names, ranks and ages of the flight crew. The oldest was 21 but most, if not all the rest, were teenagers. If brought it all home to me. They came over to fight with our little nation only to lose their life on a training flight. I'd not take a long walk or trek to see a disaster but if there's a memorial to one close.to my path I'll go. If nothing else to to at least pay respects is worthwhile.

There are books on plane wreckage sites.you can buy. I once thought about getting one as a reason to see an overwalked area some renewed interest. I didn't because it felt a bit wrong like BR said, ghoulish. We all have our own views and nobody its exclusively right.

 

[santaman2000]

I'm of a mixed mind on this. Like BR I wouldn't want to visit a disaster site in and of itself; but as Rik & Paul_B point out, such sites can be, and often are, memorials as well. Not really any different from a cemetery apart from the history attached.

 

[petrochemicals]

Hawaii, in Hawaii? Give my love to Barack if that's not to much trouble for you to drag yourelf away from your pina colada.

Dolgarog dam is quite good atop carnod lllewellyn

http://oldphotos.co.uk/dolgarrog.htm

 

[bushcraftkid2001]

Near me about half an hours drive and 3 hours hiking there is this American Air Force bomber which crashed just after ww2, tragically killing all 8 aboard.The wreckage is still there, and it's incredible. If anyone's interested the hill is called Bleaklow and its in the Dark Peak. If you do go, many people leave flowers or crosses or make them out of stones, so maybe bring something like that in your packs before you visit just to pay respect to these people who tragically died. I made a cross out of stones I found when I went.