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| During the Battle of Britain the Bay of Biscay was used as route for German U-Boats to venture into the icy depths of the North Atlantic. There U-Boats would lay in wait for battle cruisers, cargo ships, frigates and destroyers. Squadrons of RAF Coastal Command patrolled the Bay of Biscay area. |
 
| In 1943 American PB4Y-1 (US Navy B-24 Liberators) anti-submarine patrol bombers joined in the patrols from an RAF Station in Devon named Dunkeswell. It was on return from one of these patrols that PB4Y-1 63934 on the night of 18th December 1943 ran into trouble. The weather was very poor, heavily overcast with a 50 knot wind and fog closing in. The pilot Lt George H Charno Jr, knowing that Lt Joe Kennedy, brother of the President John F Kennedy, was also in the air at the same time, and was lower on fuel, gave up his landing slot and Joe made a sucessful landing. |
| By now the fog had closed in and Charno was diverted to the Lincolnshire, Beaulieu airfield. However when the crew got close that airfield was also closed by bad weather and Lt Charno only had 15-20 minutes of fuel left. |
 | The crew were ordered to man their parachutes and bale out, Charno set the auto pilot and left the aircraft himself. The Liberator flew on towards Manchester and when the fuel in one wing ran out the engines stopped and the aircraft lost height and it ploughed into the soft peaty moor above Carrbrook known as Broken Ground. |
| Amazingly none of the deadly cargo exploded: 6 depth charges and 2 specials (MK-24 Homing Torpedo Mines). The larger wreckage was buried by the gamekeeper. The pilot, Lt Charno, was commended for his actions, and the crew all lived. |
| Crew Picture: Lt George H Charno Jr & Crew of 63934 |
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| Back Row Wissman, Charno, Colyer | ||
| Front Row Sheeley, Clark, Clayton, Peterson, Curran, Levering, Innman, Olsen. | ||
Italics=Not on flight |
| Crew / Passengers | Rank | Position |
| George Charno Jnr | Lieutenant | Pilot |
| Robert G. Wissman | Lieutenant Junior Grade | Co-pilot |
| Cecil R. Colyer | Ensign | Navigator |
| Walter O. Levering | AOM | Sig. |
| Douglas S. Peterson | AMM 3 | Radio Operator |
| Archie P. Oliver | AMM 3 | Radio Operator |
| Warran W. Olson | ARM 3 | Gunner |
| William J Clayton | AOM 3 | Gunner |
| Dewey M. Clark | Seaman 2nd Class | Gunner |
| Winston C. Ketchem | Seaman 2nd Class | Gunner |
| Boyd S. Barber | ACRM 1 | Radio Operator |
| The Crash Site of 63934 |
Right hand original photo of crash site Copywright Alan L Clark www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk |
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