I have been looking for more crash sites to record and to visit. I have visited several now, including the Flora Lake B24 Liberator wreck, the Canso wreck in Tofino, and, my favourite - perhaps because it was my first and therefore my most moving - the Mt. Bolduc crash of a Lockeed Ventura.
However, recently I stumbled upon records of another wreck that is fairly close, although likely quite remote. It's a B25 Mitchell, HD345, from 5 OTU, that took off from Boundary Bay on a navigation exercise on May 29th, 1944. It was reported missing later that day. It was "found" to have flown into the side of a mountain and exploded, although the record confusingly states the plane was struck off the register on 26th July, 1944 having not been found by this date. The bodies of the five crew are said to be "buried at the crash scene on a mountainside in the vicinity of Mount Whymper."
The crash coordinates were taken from a SAR map years ago, before GPS, were 48 56' N and 124 11' W. I dislike degrees and minutes and so went hunting for verification.
The information from the crash card is the following:
Info from the crash card:
29 May 44
A/C Capt - P/O FJ Whitlock
RCAF 5 OTU
Boundary Bay
Mitchell 345
Navigation Exercise
Fatalities 5
P/O Whitlock
P/O DFJ Schell
Sgt MH Mason
Sgt CA Johnson
Sgt BWMcGregor
Visible from ground - wreckage over an area approximately 1/8 mile long by 100 yards wide at a slope of 45 degrees
Remarks: A/C struck side of mountain, exploded and burned in vicinity of Mount Whymper - remains of crew buried near scene of crash.
Crash Position - orginally 49.00N 124.15W scratched out and replaced by 4858.5N 12411.5 W.
Looking at the coordinates on GE, and realising that 48 degrees, 58.5 minutes is the more likley northern coordinate twinned with 124 degrees 11.5 minutes W, puts you in an area just south of Mt. Whymper near Sherk Lake, north of Youbou. I'm not sure I believe these coordinates, as it's too low and not nearly "slopy" enough to fit the description of the crash site.
I'm trying a few other permutations of the coordinates...but I'm guessing because of the
lack of coordinate fixes back then, they really do mean Mount Whymper...
Anyway, the plan is to take a ride out there next summer and look. In the meantime, I'm
going to dig for any more infor I can find...
