Excavations > 2008>

	Thunderbolt, Cornwall

Captain Robert C Durlin
Bude, Cornwall
15 September 1943
P-47D 42-8420
353rd FG. 352nd FS

Captain Durlin was leading his flight of four planes flying from Thorney Island providing escort to B-24s at 30,000 feet. On his return he was to take a heading of 340 degrees, his instruments failed and he decided to drop through a hole on the cloud to find his position. His wing man Lt Donavan followed, but the other two pilots carried on above the clouds. The two soon crossed the French coast at Cherbourg and Flak opened fire. Durlin became confused at his position, his radio was not working properly and it was getting dark. Donavan then radioed to say he was bailing out because he was running out of fuel. He fell into the sea off Portland Bill and his body was never found. Durlin then began to call for radio fixes, but could not get a satisfactory fix – American homing facilities in the west of England were not adequate. When his fuel also ran out ho turned the P-47 over and baled out, but his parachute did not open fully before he hit the ground and he sustained injuries. The P-47 dived into a potato field 2 miles from Bude.

Read part of the official report.

	The excavation - on a very wet day - the totally destroyed engine was the largest part found.
	Part-way through cleaning the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21 engine.
	Cleaned of its mud the pistons and cylinder liners were revealed, but all the cylinder heads had been broken off in the crash.