alan
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Aircrash at Canvey Point 1944This may intrest you, as some will know that i do sometimes do a one man vigil at Canvey Point.
I've been picking up on this U.S. airman named Fred Kauffman.
He died in a aircrash on 19th June 1944 and have seen him as real as a living person at times.
I thought i would try to find out more about the crash and with the help of Canvey heritage centre, i now have all the crash details wrote but the eye witnesses and the U.S. Air force.
My family lived on Canvey in 1944 and lived the Point end of Canvey.
Fred Kauffman stayed with his aircraft so it never crashed in a built up area and gave up his our life.
Fred Kauffman was the co-pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress from 379th bomber group based at Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire). He was on a bombing raid at a German rocket site at Zudausques in France were they came under gun fire.
Coming home they flew into a cloud bank in the Thames, when anothe flying fortress had engine trouble and the two aircraft hit before the over fell out of the sky and crashed in the Thames.
Fred kauffman stayed with his aircraft and got control of it, six of the crew got out over Canvey and Fred turned the aircraft to land in the mud off the Point, as he did this, the aircraft went into a noisedive into the mud creating a deep hole. In total 11 airman lost there lives that day.
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Mandatas
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Fantastic report Alan, would you be able to bring a paper copy next time we see you, then we can all have a read?
manda
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alan
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No problem and will do.
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alan
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I have yesterday sent to me a part of the control pannel from the B17 crash and have been reading it, strainge in a way as i got it on the 19th june and the crash was 19th june 1944.
I now know why it crashed, after the midair crash and the two aircraft became free, one came straight down and crashed in the thames and the over still had power and fred was going to land it on the mudflats.
He sent the two remaining crew towards the back ready for a crash landing. he had no problems turning the aircraft left to right but on aproach to the mudflats and begain his desent down, there was damage to the wires that go from the stearing wheel to the wings and these snapped and was at the mercey of the aircraft and were it wanted to go.
Omce going into a noise diver, there was no way of pulling it out.
Saddly the three that stayed with the aircraft and steared it away from a built up area on canvey all died. This brave man saved most of the crew and lots of people living on Canvey Island in 1944 and should be remembered for what he did
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Mandatas
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Oh bless them. So brave to lose their lives to save the many lives of others on the island.
Gary took me over there saturday night, it's an amazing place although it's not easy walking over all the rough ground and boggy bits. Good job he had an idea of where he was going. I know Alan has told him the exact location of the crash and we walked around a bit on the sandbanks until I felt we had reached the place where the plane came down and I was right. 
So glad you have managed to unravel the mystery for the families involved Alan, you should be very proud of yourself. 
Manda
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homerun2
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For many years i have been intrested in this event,when i was young i would walk out to the remains of the crashed B17 at Allhallows.
It was a long way out on the mud flats,and i always had a sense of fear and sadness.
As i researched the collision i realised that,the fear and sadness i felt,could relate to the eight airmen who died.
I understand from a report that some of the airmen were still alive,when a rescue party got to the crash.
All the airmen were placed in open parachutes and dragged back to the beach,unfortunately they all died,apart from the bombardier.
For a long time now i have been collecting information,i know the Canvey island crash is well documented and rightly so,but the Allhallows B17 seems to have been forgotten.
I would like to put this right and i would welcome any information that you might have or be able to pick up.
Thankyou Richard.
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alan
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I will make a point of going there and see what i can pick up, i think all these men who gave their lives should be remembered weather from Essex, kent or elsewere in the country.
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homerun2
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canvey b17 crashlet me know when you can go there and i will try and make it as well.
If you can not get to the wreck site due to the tides,i can at least point you to the direction.
It would be intresting to see if you can pick up anything else,as this is not the only areoplane that went down in the thames estuary.
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alan
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That would be great, if you come from east kent i have done copies of the Canvey aircrash and gave them to Manda and she will pass them on.
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Mandatas
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Would be interested to visit the other air crash site at Allhallows (not sure where that is   ), but I agree these men gave their lives for us and definately should be remembered and if they need help to pass, then we should give it to them in return for what they did for us.
Manda
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garypup1
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Glad you enjoyed going over to the point, it's such a lovely quiet place. Will look forward to going to Allhallows, sounds like another interesting place.
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Mandatas
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Oh it's great over there, not the easiest of places to get to but lovely to be there. The whole area feels very calm, considering the tragedy that has happened there.
Manda
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garypup1
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It's quite amazing the feeling over there, I thought it would be heavy and uncomfortable, but it's not at all.
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alan
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Down the point with my son Vincent who is 8 years old, we found a part of a German aircrarft, it has the pale blue german paint that they used on the underside of the aircraft.
Weather the aircraft crashed off the point or not i don't know, may of crashed in the thames and been washed up here over time
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alan
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At the point i found many mashine gun bullets, these had been fired so believe they were from the B17 aircrash as they are american and not english
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Mandatas
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Sounds like plenty went on down there during the war, it's an amazing place to go, have been there a couple of times with Gary.
Manda
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