On the 23rd April 1943 at least two Hurricanes pilots were undertaking formation flying practice over the northwest coast of England, there was probably an instructor flying in a third aircraft as well as these two. After an hours practice formation flying the trainees were ordered to break away and undertake low flying and D/F homing exercises individually but warned to watch the weather conditions and stay local to the Maryport area over which they were flying. A short time later whilst flying in cloud and at 12.00hrs both aircraft crashed into high ground to the north of Coniston at the south west end of the Lake District. Both pilots were killed instantly when the aircraft crashed in the Brim Fell area, in the Coniston range. Working out which aircraft is which on the ground today is near impossible and as a result if I have got the crash locations the wrong way round I stand to be corrected.

Prior to taking off both pilots were overheard discussing flying to Blackpool in the course of this training flight and it seemed probable that having completed part of the exercise had taken it upon themselves to flying to Blackpool. Having then flown into low cloud they did not see the mountains in their path and flew into high ground.

Research done locally by Mr Ade Harris has discovered someone who claims to have heard two single engined Merlin powered aircraft fly over Coniston around this date and then hear two muffled thumps as both aircraft struck the high ground in the Coniston Fells. The only two aircraft this witness could have heard were these two Hurricanes and it therefore suggests that both aircraft perhaps flown part of the leg to Blackpool and had then been flying North again perhaps heading back to base when the accidents occured. Although the precise location of where AG264 crashed has yet to be discovered the belief is that it crashed onto a southerly facing slope. AG275 crashed onto a northerly facing slope.

Pilot - Sgt Leonard T Cook RAAF (412399), aged 20, of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. Buried Haverigg Churchyard, Cumbria.

Len Cook and his gravestone at Haverigg near Millom.

The part shown above is confirmed to have been a peice of Hurricane aircraft.

In April 2008 Will Lund, Luke Soloman and myself searched for this "impact" site, due to a heavy snow shower we called off the search because of the conditions but had located some parts of the aircraft. The following day Will and myself returned to the location, with the snow vertually melted I got some photographs. The photograph above shows the area on the Sunday.

I speculate that one aircraft (AG264) crashed onto rocks overlooking Levers Water where wreckage was seen as late as the 1970s (and is detailed on its own webpage), his partner (in AG275) saw the first aircraft exploded and put his aircraft in a climbing turn realising the situation. He did not gain enough height before his aircraft then clipped rocks (parts I located first) which damaged the aircraft and out of control it crashed into Brim Fell (site found in 2008). Pure speculation but it seems to fit with the known wreckage locations.

Part of an instrument found at the site.

An inspectors stamp which the lettering "CCF" clearly readable, Both AG275 and AG264 were made by the Canadian Car and Foundary Corporation, who built many numbers on contract.

Saturdays visit. Hunting for crash sites on steep scree in snow is not ideal and not recommended without proper gear !