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By: - 17th November 2014 at 22:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No part numbers anywhere?
By: - 17th November 2014 at 22:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No most of it too corroded, I have lots of parts from this aircraft, it came down not far from where I live and some of the elderly people remember the huge explosion and the damage caused. I knew an old lady who lived a good mile away and it blew in her windows. I have done some research and it seems the plane was named after a Tommy Trinder characture and that each engine was given a girls name begining with C. Some of the crew are buried in Haverhill and each year the Haverhill Army cadets place crosses on thier graves as well as the other war graves there. I have a copy of a picture of the crew who perished. It was not thier usual aircraft
By: - 18th November 2014 at 01:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Nice picture of the crew... Not sure about that part though..
By: - 23rd March 2017 at 03:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Champagne Charlie
No most of it too corroded, I have lots of parts from this aircraft, it came down not far from where I live and some of the elderly people remember the huge explosion and the damage caused. I knew an old lady who lived a good mile away and it blew in her windows. I have done some research and it seems the plane was named after a Tommy Trinder characture and that each engine was given a girls name begining with C. Some of the crew are buried in Haverhill and each year the Haverhill Army cadets place crosses on thier graves as well as the other war graves there. I have a copy of a picture of the crew who perished. It was not thier usual aircraft
Hello Spark Plug, my name is Colin and I have been doing some research on a Lancaster with the name "Champagne Charlie" and in the process came across this discussion from November 2014. My father was flight engineer on a Lancaster of this name. He joined RAFVR in 1943 and left in 1947. He completed one tour of operations. I recall him telling me that this was the name of his aircraft and in fact I have a photo of him and what I assume was his colleagues standing in front of the aircraft together with four other people who are sitting and I assume were ground support crew. I note in your discussion that the crew on board the day it crashed was not the regular crew. I am trying to do some research on my father's service in the RAF (he emigrated to Australia in 1948 and passed away in 1972). Do you happen to have any additional details on this aircraft including the squadron that it may have been attached to etc that you can share with me.
I am aware that there was at least one other Lancaster that had the same name which was attached to 625 and was scrapped in May 1947.
By: - 28th January 2018 at 14:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Very late reply REMF but it was 186 Squadron From Stradishall. A group of us are raising funds for a sculpture to commemorate the airmen from the five air crashes in our parish.
By: - 31st December 2019 at 09:47 Permalink
My grandfather was the captain of a Lancaster Bomber called Champagne Charlie -
Clarence John WAIT (169082)
186 squadron
He survived the war and then became a pilot for BOAC.
He was known as Jack Wait to his friend.
Posts: 165
By: spark plug - 17th November 2014 at 19:21
Small part of ''champagne Charlie'' which crashed after take off on 16/1/45
an interesting bit that might just be identifieable? Kev