Have been trying to locate any information on the above unit, what types of duties were performed, where they operated etc. Know they were UK based and from family stories that some operations were undertaken in and around Nantwich and possibly Norfolk and Suffolk. Trying to get to Kew to look at AIR 29/1012 but hoping someone may be able to give a clue to any on line resources that we may be able to be going on with until we can get to london thanks in advance for any help
I have attached the bases for 54 MU. As you probably know, 43 Group was a maintenance group and they were responsible for getting aircraft ready to be sent to units and abroad, to repair damaged aircraft, to give them routine servicing, and to salvage aircraft that may have crashed within their area of operations. In 1942 there were 28 maintenance units under 43 Group command, and I believe 54 MU dealt with fighters.
Hi Kyt many thanks for the info. The jpg was appreciated but seems to refer to 53unit rather than 54, do you happen to have the details for 54?
54 MU eh ? Would be interested in any listings of their work in the aircraft salvage department. They covered Suffolk and part of South Norfolk I believe. Have had a few pictures from a Mr F Harper of 54 MU for several years, showing wrecked aircraft such as Blenheim, Spitfire, Gladiator, and a Do 17Z (Wickhambrook, Sfk., 23 Aug 1940). Some we have been able to put dates and details to, others, well..... BC
If you have any images that its possible to post would be very interested in seeing them, especially if they had any personnel in them, struggling to find info on this unit in any detail
Hi again: As most of my research over the years has been into WW 2 air crashes in East Anglia, you will not be surprised to learn that 54 MU figured in the recovery of many early war aircraft. One of the first was the He 115 which crashed on Sheringham beach, Norfolk on 6 Dec 1939. I normally do scanning in sessions when I have a few pictures to do. I will copy some of the pictures featuring people and post them in case you can identify anyone or perhaps the aircraft and incident - some are sadly lacking in details. If you or any of the readers of this board have any lists of work undertaken by 54 MU for the region, I'd be VERY interested to hear ! Bob C
many thanks for that, will look forward to hopefully seeing some pics sometime. unfortunately have been drawing a lot of blanks on trying to find any info ourselves whilst trying to research what the father in law was possibly doing whilst in this unit.
Hi again: Sorry for the delay. Here comes the first, a wintry scene with a Fairey Battle on its belly. Absolutely no idea where, when or the unit/fate of the machine. Over to you forum readers !!! Bob C
Apologies for delayed response, have been away on hols. Thanks for posting the images, very interesting. Looking at them it would appear that they may be of two different incidents, No2 shows an aircraft that has sustained damage to its props wheras No's 1 and three show props fully intact, the snow on the ground is far less in No 2 and looking closely at personnel they appear different as well. Interesting. Such a shame that no real identifying markings/numbers can be picked out on the aircraft that may well have helped to narrow down the date/location etc. This type seems to have been used at a variety of locations and for varying uses makes the job so much harder. From little knowledge we have on the units history could have a stab in the dark and make suggestion of Newmarket area just on the basis that the aircraft were used for testing various engines etc and Newmarket was partially a testing station for certain things, cannot be certain that this is the case though, Hopefully someone who has the knowledge may well be able to throw light on the subject. Of course there is always the possibility that they were working on machines that did not directly fly out from their own base, is this a possibility? I dont know enough about the subject to know. Again thanks for taking the time to scan the images and post them, if you have more then I would love to see.
Well done chaps - I failed to pick up on the bent prop in the 2nd pic so definitely as you say, two different Battle prangs dealt with by 54 MU. Let's see what you make of this: (A rather unique RAF salvage experience in the UK, this one !) BC
I slipped up there ! This is the correct picture: Never mind, I'm sure the smart alecs out there would have known the first pic has been well-used before ! BC
Again BC1 another very interesting image. Looking at it I would assume that the crew from 54Mu 'working on the salvage' were the team of 6 shown wearing overalls and the group of four in the centre were 'visitors' to the site, either in some form of technical/supervisory role or through interest Again, from the file name, I would guess that these guys attended as it appears to be 'an enemy aircraft' downed around the Bromeswell,Woodbridge area of Suffolk. A quick google on BR20 Bromeswell found the following info: 1) "Mr. C. R. Elliott, o(address removed) Sudbury, Suffolk, is a collector of souvenirs from aircraft that have made history. (His collection includes a relic from the Italian Fiat B.R.20 bomber that crash-landed near Bromeswell, Suffolk, on November n t h , 1940.)" 2) "My own interest in this stems from the fact that the only two IAF crewmen KIA in an aircraft brought down on British soil in WW 2 were in the Fiat BR 20 shot down at Bromeswell, Suffolk on 11 Nov 1940. Others were lost offshore the same date, but I am not aware of any dead being recovered in the UK apart from the two above." So it would appear that you have a quite historic and and interesting photograph Thank you for posting. Do you happen to have any images from the latter part of the war period mid 45 to late 46?
Spot on. However, I think all the RAF men pictured are part of the 54 MU team tasked with the salvage of this aircraft. The BR 20 was riddled with .303 bullet holes from the Hurricanes which brought it down. A propeller had already broken off in the air and landed in Woodbridge. As the aircraft crash-landed and slid into a plantation of young conifer trees, the other engine broke off and ended up wedged under the tail unit. One crewman was dead and another died later from wounds. Chris Elliott (who now lives in Wimbledon) visited the site in the 50s and was given part of a wingtip by a local man. The two dead crew were originally buried in Ipswich Municipal Cemetery, in a plot where there were already a few Luftwaffe men. However, in 1957 and before the Germans were moved to Cannock Chase, the Italians were moved to Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. I'm interested in pictures of the graves there if any forumites are in the area ! The BR 20 was the only Italian bomber shot down on British soil in WW 2, so as I hinted, it was a unique salvage experience for 54 MU although they did recover a number of German aircraft too. In answer to your question about late-war pictures, I'm afraid all the series of photos which we have been able to put dates to appear to have been taken Spring-Winter 1940. Here's the next one: BC
Thank you so much for your continued assistance in some of the history of this unit, finding it all incredibly interesting. The images you have posted have given a good insight to the work being undertaken etc which is very helpful in building a picture. The father in law was a member of 54Mu only for a relatively short period june 45 to Oct 46 having spent the earlier war years in other units around the country, No 17 (p) AFU, Watton and Nantwich, No 11 (p) AFu, Nantwich and No 2 AAPC at Langham Norfolk before joining 54MU nominally at Newmarket I would presume that the previous units were involved with similar tasks as he found himself ending up with at 54. You have been a great help in assisting us, once again thanks. We will now have to try and trace what he may have been involved in with during time with other units.
Well, having kicked off the sequence of 1940 54 MU pictures, I think I ought to complete them on this thread - what do the other forumites think ? The latest one is a Wellington, probably a Mk IA/IC, which has crashed into trees in a wooded area, the nose and engines are wrecked. Looks rather warm from the shirt-sleeves. This picture MAY possibly relate to the crash of 115 Sqn Wellington IC R3276 KO-B at Corpusty, Norfolk, on 23 August 1940 on return from Mannheim. Three crewmen were seriously injured and one later died. The a/c ran out of fuel and crashed into trees attempting a forced-landing. Comments anyone ? BC
Please do continue to post images, they are extremely interesting and very useful to anyone looking to piece things together I am only sorry I cannot reciprocate with details and or other images.
