Hurricane on Brim Fell, Coniston, Lake District.
Note: this is from a site which may change, so I have replicated here. Original site is here
On the 23rd April 1943 at least two Hurricanes pilots were undertaking formation flying practice over the northwest coast of England, there was probably and instructor flying in a third aircraft as well. After an hours practice formation flying they were ordered to break away and undertake in singles, low flying and D/F homing exercises but to watch the weather conditions and stay local to the Maryport area over which they were flying. A short time later whilst flying in cloud and at 12.00hrs both aircraft crashed into high ground to the north of Coniston at the south west end of the Lake District. Both pilots were killed instantly. Both aircraft crashed in the Brim Fell area, in the Coniston range. I may have these two locations and specific aircraft listed the wrong way round.
Prior to taking off both pilots were overheard discussing flying to Blackpool in the course of this training flight and it seemed probable that having completed part of the exercise had taken it upon themselves to flying to Blackpool probably following railway lines, having then flown into low cloud they did not see the mountains in their path and flew into high ground. Whilst there is no mention of a collision in the crash investigation there was an assuption by previous writers (and myself!) that this had happened, this would now appear to have not occured and both aircraft were flying as a pair at the time of the crash. The pilots of each aircraft also appear confused, AG264 was piloted by:
Pilot - Sgt Henry M Atherton RAAF, aged 21, of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Buried Haverigg Church, Cumbria.
Nephew Stephen salutes his uncle Dec 31, 2007
The location of this crash site has been widely confusing, Raven Tor and Brim Fell are two of the locations quoted.
Wreckage is said to be on the shores of Levers Water and Low Water, these are probably incorrect.
On Jubilee Day 2002 myself and Will Lund searched a wide area of steep scree and rocks on Raven Tor.
At the time of my first visit to the area we also
carried on over to nearby Brim Fell and located afew pieces of aircraft metal in rocks and some very small peices
of alloy and a length of copper wire in the grass and bog below. Not a crash site as such but undoubtedly from one of the aircraft.
A photograph in Michael Hursts book on Lakeland aircraft crashes shows a photograph of one of the two aircraft and is clearly not
on a fellside. The aircraft probably clipped high ground and crashed beyond into the area where we found these peices.
Some of wreckage we found amongst rocks on Brim Fell.