BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT N3378

Located on Bleaklow in the Peak District

Defiants were unusual fighter aircraft used in the early stages of the 'Battle of Britain' having a turret for armament instead of wing borne forward firing guns or cannon. It enjoyed some success at first being miss recognised by the German pilots as a Hurricane , they believed they had caught an hurricane pilot out and sneaked up behind the aircraft only to be shot down by the turret gunner in the Defiant . They soon learned to attack Defiants from the front or below, heavy losses resulted in defiants being withdrawn from frontline daytime duties . They were then converted into night fighters using Airborne Interception Radar. This aircraft returning to RAF Hibaldstow from Raf Turnhouse after a period of leave for the pilot crashed into Bleaklow on the 29th August 1941. The second crew member was in fact a passenger taking a 'lift' off the pilot to enable a swift return to base .Tragically both men survived the crash but died of thier injuries at the crash site before they were found (over a month after the crash).P/O James Craig Pilot Aircraftman 2nd Class George Hempstead Passenger
Quite an amount of wreckage remains at this site , not only at the main pool but scattered across the moor . In one of the gullies burnt fragments and shards of perspex and glass can be seen indicative of an impact point (but not confirmed).