Hello,
would anyone know of such remains? removed, current?
thks
Rudi
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 11:15 AM
Subject: Arctic DC-3
Hello,
Just found your great site.
I was in the arctic in 1977 and just south of Fort Ross at the south end of Somerset island I saw the remains of a C-47 or DC3.
The story ( most of it published in the Autumn edition of The Beaver Magazine which is the history magazine of the Hudsons Bay Company which established Fort Ross) goes that the Fort had to be abandoned in 1943 due to a failure of the resupply ship to get to the fort.
A fellow named Stanwell Fletcher parachuted in to prepare an ice runway to allow an aircraft to land.
The first attempt ended in failure and is the source of the remains of the DC3 including the wing centre section and the wings. This part of the story is missing from the article.
A second runway was prepared inland and was successful in evacuating the HBC people to Winnipeg.
Does anyone have a confirmable story of the remains of the C-47 /DC-3. near Fort Ross.
Regards,
Lee
DC-3 wreck at Fort. Ross?
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
I flew by Fort Ross a few times this past summer, and don't recall seeing any remains of any wrecks in the area....if you had a more accurate location, like a Lat/Long, or a name of a bay or harbour as a reference point, then maybe some of the Borek twotter crews might be able to help you out.
Good luck
Good luck
Gravity always wins
I looked at the area on google earth but the area I remember is right where the high resolution strip borders with the low res and nothing in the clear area seems to offer any clues.
I'll be digging out my box of slides when I get home at Christmas and I'll post any images I have.
Lee
I'll be digging out my box of slides when I get home at Christmas and I'll post any images I have.
Lee
I had a look at those GE coordinates and could not find anything resembling a DC-3 (but perhaps that is my lack of imigination).
Will add some screendumps to my webpage to put that location 'fixed'.
Dod notice vehicle tracks there, could have been someone who had a look at the wreckage as they seem to point in the direction of that spot...
Ruud
Will add some screendumps to my webpage to put that location 'fixed'.
Dod notice vehicle tracks there, could have been someone who had a look at the wreckage as they seem to point in the direction of that spot...
Ruud
Remember what I saw in 1977 is the wing center section without engines and close by on the next beach I recall seeing just the two wings together.
It is not a complete airframe at all. The co-ordinates I gave are near the area rather than an exact spot. I'll be home in a week or so hoping to find a good picture. (how do I get a slide to a digital image?)
Lee
It is not a complete airframe at all. The co-ordinates I gave are near the area rather than an exact spot. I'll be home in a week or so hoping to find a good picture. (how do I get a slide to a digital image?)
Lee
Re: DC-3 wreck at Fort. Ross?
Ok, I found the picture of the centre section but can't locate the shot of the wings which are close by
- Attachments
-
- DC3 reduced.jpg (131.19 KiB) Viewed 4336 times
Re: DC-3 wreck at Fort. Ross?
The story about Hudsons Bay Company's Fort Ross being abandoned in 1943 due to a failure of the resupply ship arriving, in 1942 and 1943 is correct. The part about about Stanwell Fletcher parachuting in to prepare an ice runway to allow an aircraft to land is also correct, in fact Fletcher Lake up there is named after him. However the aircraft, apparently an American Airforce DC-3, did successfully land and evacuate Fletcher and the HBC people.
The next summer the supply ship did make it in and Fort Ross was reopened. In 1948 Fort Ross again did not get a resupply and the HBC decided to abandon the Post for good and establish a new one in Spence Bay.
During the winter of 48/49 word got out that some of the Inuit people near Fort Ross took sick and a DC-3 sent up with supplies and to evacuate the sick. Ernie Lyall, who was living there, marked out a 3500' x 150' strip on the sea ice and the aircraft safely landed. Later in Feb of 1949 two additional DC-3's were sent up together with additonal supplies; the first one dragged a wing on landing and crashed; there were 9 people aboard and a few had only minor injuries. The second Dak safely landed on the strip 15 minutes later and evacuated the first crew. The first aircraft was abandoned, dragged up on shore and used by the Inuit people as a storage shed.
This is your aircraft; I have no information whose aircraft it was or who the pilots were. It may have been the RCAF or could have been a Canadian Pacific aircraft as I believe they were flying into YZF and YCB in those days.
The next summer the supply ship did make it in and Fort Ross was reopened. In 1948 Fort Ross again did not get a resupply and the HBC decided to abandon the Post for good and establish a new one in Spence Bay.
During the winter of 48/49 word got out that some of the Inuit people near Fort Ross took sick and a DC-3 sent up with supplies and to evacuate the sick. Ernie Lyall, who was living there, marked out a 3500' x 150' strip on the sea ice and the aircraft safely landed. Later in Feb of 1949 two additional DC-3's were sent up together with additonal supplies; the first one dragged a wing on landing and crashed; there were 9 people aboard and a few had only minor injuries. The second Dak safely landed on the strip 15 minutes later and evacuated the first crew. The first aircraft was abandoned, dragged up on shore and used by the Inuit people as a storage shed.
This is your aircraft; I have no information whose aircraft it was or who the pilots were. It may have been the RCAF or could have been a Canadian Pacific aircraft as I believe they were flying into YZF and YCB in those days.
Re: DC-3 wreck at Fort. Ross?
Thanks for that. I've been waiting a long time to hear the story.
Lee
Lee
