WIX Archives

Re: Archer Field Quarry

Posted by GMO on Tue Oct 28, 2003 05:32:44 AM

In reply top Archer Field Quarry posted by Rob Rohr on Mon Oct 27, 2003 06:59:31 AM

Rob, guys,
Since you asked, I can't add much to what appears about Carr's Quarry on Peter Dunn's excellent website.
I first became aware of it as a kid around 1970. I was often at Archerfield had heard stories of P-39s, Fairey Battles, a stolen Avro Avian (!), a wrecked B-17 plus jeeps, trucks etc. etc. When I started to learn to fly from Archerfield in 1975 I'd look down into the hole which was directly at the end of the 10-28 vector but could never see anything. Friends and I used to talk about ways to find out what was beneath - perhaps hire a crane for a few hours and drop a grappling hook down to see what we could pull up. If an Airacobra appeared at the end of the cable then we'd know it was worth putting some money into draining. When in 1992 Terry Kelly started draining the hole it became very exciting but I have to confess to being disappointed with what came out of there. I had expected far more material and much more interesting material at that. There will be some more under the mud at the bottom, no doubt, however it seems likely the better place to start looking would be the smaller hole to the n/east of Carr's Quarry, filled in the early post-war era. Now that would be good to dig up. A future project for someone....?
Cheers,
Graham O.

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