Originally Posted by
XV490
Ah, the hole-in-the-ground story again. Has anyone actually ever found one of these fabled dumps on any former US airfield? I'd read that one at Stansted had been raided, but the diggers swore to keep mum about what they'd found.
Just read a nice story about how US servicemen from Bovingdon turned out in force to help at the site of a nasty train crash at nearby Bourne End in September 1945.
Apparently, a USAAF pilot spotted the incident just after t/o and alerted the tower.
NARRATIVE - Link. (Incorrect Passenger figure quoted should read 398 for that particular stage of the journey).
https://www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/a...imed-43-lives/
Site of Bourne End Rail Crash in relation to Bovingdon Aerodrome. Outskirts of Berkhamsted just north-west of site.
Photo credit as captioned.
Crash site photographed in 1946. Pix Farm centre to right of railway. Boxmoor and Hemel Hempstead to south-east.
Crash site in 1955 - looking south-east and showing points system.
Source BNA.
Looking north-west.
Source BNA. USAAF 'Wrecker' vehicle from Bovingdon.
The Scotsman Oct 1st 1945 Source BNA
Reference to USAF Bovingdon.
Link to Book here. Go to page 68:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/editi...sec=frontcover
Extract from The Hartlepool Northern Mail 25th October 1945. Source BNA.
The last paragraph is particularly poignant. Apparently the driver had worked the previous 26 days. Unsocial hours too, typically on this occasion 04.23 hrs departure from Perth.