Great Bear Lake P-40
Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:55 pm
Many years ago Neil Rose personally told me that he had spoken to a chopper pilot who found a P-40 in the vicinity of GBL that had force landed in the wild. The pilot had removed the engine cowlings and made a crude shelter out of them and his remains were still underneath them. This was long before advent of GPS.
Anyone else ever hear about this?
Anyone else ever hear about this?
Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:23 pm
Hmmm... first I've heard of that, but quite possible. Any idea if it was RCAF? RAF? USAAF?
-David
-David
"...vicinity of GBL..."
Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:06 pm
well heck that ought to be easy to find ! 
Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:34 pm
A friend of mine saw one like that years ago while lost in a Turbo-Beaver. Closer to Fort Simpson though.
Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:30 pm
I was under the impression at the time it was USAAF on a ferry flight to Alaska.
Is there a record of missing a/c on the ferry route from the North West U.S. continent to Alaska? I wonder how many have never been found?
If nothing else it makes one think what might still be out there. If true it would be nice to give the pilot a decent burial and salvage the a/c for one of the Canadian musuems.
It was supposedly in the southeast quadrant of the lake. I know it is a big area of course.
Is there a record of missing a/c on the ferry route from the North West U.S. continent to Alaska? I wonder how many have never been found?
If nothing else it makes one think what might still be out there. If true it would be nice to give the pilot a decent burial and salvage the a/c for one of the Canadian musuems.
It was supposedly in the southeast quadrant of the lake. I know it is a big area of course.
Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:38 pm
It is unlikely that the P-40 was part of the Lend-lease program especially because the records for lost aircraft in that function were well documented.
There's a good chance that it is USAAF rather than RCAF, in my opinion.
Chances are there are a lot of airplanes still missing in that part of Canada.
I like the idea of recovering what might be left of the airplane. I'd like to go get it. Mind you, I think I'd need some help.
Cheers,
David McIntosh
There's a good chance that it is USAAF rather than RCAF, in my opinion.
Chances are there are a lot of airplanes still missing in that part of Canada.
I like the idea of recovering what might be left of the airplane. I'd like to go get it. Mind you, I think I'd need some help.
Cheers,
David McIntosh
Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:43 pm
Certainly worth looking into, but Great Bear Lake seems to me to be far off the North West Staging route and far, far away from fighter operational areas.
There is a somewhat intact Norseman derelict on the shores of Great Bear Lake - no military wrecks listed anywhere in the area.
There is a somewhat intact Norseman derelict on the shores of Great Bear Lake - no military wrecks listed anywhere in the area.
Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:20 pm
When I get home from work I'm going to check the list of USAAF accidents that I've got. Maybe I'll come up with something.
-David
-David