On the 14th September 1943 the crew in this aircraft were undertaking a rountine navigation training exercise and were carrying two passengers. The aircraft was intending on flying north past York and Darlington and make a landing at Turnhouse airfield near Edinburgh but flying in poor weather the crew flew too far west. With the pilots flying on instruments and thinking they were closer to Turnhouse than they actually were, the pilot was believed to have been letting down through cloud to go into land however believing they were many miles closer to the airfield and the crew did not see the mountain ranges that lay in front of them. The aircraft struck the western side of Skiddaw at 11.30hrs and ploughed its way up and across the mountain breaking up and catching fire. This was the Bomber Group's first loss since its arrival in the UK. Pilot was experienced, with 789 hours on the B17 type. The unit was in the process of moving from Alconbury to Podington at the time of the crash All ten on board were initially buried at Brookwood Cemetery but some were later re-interred at Cambridge and some returned home to the USA.

Pilot - Cpt William C Anderson 0-432027. of California, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery, England. (813th BS Commanding Officer). Air Medal, Purple Heart.

Co-Pilot - 1/Lt Robert J Sudbury 0-726503. Of Texas, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery, England.

Navigator - Cpt Raymond R Oeftiger 0-405635. Of New York, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery, England.

? - 1/Lt Clarence H Ballagh 0-447194. Of San Luis Obispo County, California. Buried California, USA.

? - 1/Lt Theodore R Doe 0-464349 Buried California, USA.

B - 2/Lt Raymond E Diltz 0-731036, of California, USA. Buried Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

R - S/Sgt Robert L Jacobsen 37168383. of Minnesota, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery, England. Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

E - S/Sgt Bryson R Hills 19040312, of California, USA. Buried Cambridge, Madingley Cemetery, England. Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Passenger (Group Gnd Exec)- Major Tom C Henderson Jnr 0-366456, of Tennessee, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery, England.

Passenger (1st Bomb Div) - Major Henry B Williams 0-908213. Buried Arlington National Cemetery.

Various photographs have been located on the internet of 2/Lt Diltz, this is possibly the best one and is believed to be out of copyright.

I located the crash site in October 2008 but with a fresh fall of snow on the steep scree it was not a sensible to attempt a full search of the scree. On the first trip in 2008 I only found two peices but one of these appeared to have small yellow stars painted on a grey background. The aircraft carried nose art and this small peice could well be part of this nose art "Flaming Mayme".

I returned to Skiddaw in August 2010 with my wife, a number of small peices of the aircraft are to be found on the scree and alot must remain hidden beneath the rocks. I return to the summit of Skiddaw in April 2011 to attempt to locate the site of a Piper Cherokee civilian aircraft that had crashed on the other side of the summit ridge in 1991. Peices from the B17 have found their way onto the main path from Carlside to Skiddaw summit and were attracting attention from walkers as I passed them.

Part of either the aircraft clock or part of a pocket watch carried by one of the crew found by my wife.

The small peice of painted aircraft skinning section which I believe contains part of the aircraft's nose art.