B-24 Liberator 42-50713 force landed in Yorkshire, possibly near Snape.

On 31st January 1945 the crew of this 705th Bombardment Squadron, 446th Bomber Group, USAAF aircraft was part of a group of 4030 aircraft taking part in a raid on Brunswick Hallendorf but because of poor weather conditions part of the raid was scrapped after the aircraft had taken off. In all 112 B17's and 291 B24's were recalled as were nearly 200 P51 fighters acting as escorts and scouting forces. By the time the force was recalled many were well on their way to the target area. Because of bad weather around their bases in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire many crews were diverted north to land and a number of aircraft suffered damage in Yorkshire trying to land. I have not found any details of what happened to this aircraft so need to buy the USAAF accident report to obtain teh details and also the full crew list. Basic mention of the incident is listed on various websites with the pilot's name and the location in Yorkshire of either "Snap" or "half a mile east of Snape", with Tunstall also being quoted. Snape or Tunstall could be the location but both villages are some ten miles apart so both cannot be correct. Had this aircraft crash landed in the Snape area I would have expected it to feature in a transcript of North Riding of Yorkshire Police flying accidents they attended and it doesn't. This one incident I need to buy the USAAF accident report for to get a better description of the crash location and to obtain a full crew list.

Pilot - 1Lt Ralph Lester Wingrove USAAF (O-818261).

Crew - Names unknown.