For the last few months, I have been working towards the Colonize exhibition which will be shown in Jamestown NY at The 3rd on 3rd and Dykeman Young Galleries.
My work is based on the tragic 1944 Liberator plane crash that happened close to where I live. It was only by chance that I found the monument to the 24 airmen that lost their lives in the crash and it made me want to find out more.
From where I live, I can see the vast area of bright yellow rape seed flowers that surround the crash site. Until recently I had no idea what lay below.
I found a map of the site and took a walk up there. Its very quiet. There are deep gouges in the earth, still visible after all of these years. Remnants of animal life remain – wool caught on a barbed wire fence, a skull from a sheep, bones lying peacefully in a brook.
The triangular monuments are collages of what remains. Symbols on maps, fading flowers plant and animal life…
Further reading on the tragedy can be found here Many thanks to Colin Schroeder, aviation historian, for sending me information
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- rust map marker
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- Marker 4
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- Marker 3
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- Green Marker
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- Blue Marker (monument)
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- Markers
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Wendy Williams 
Wendy,
Looks like intriguing work. I had never heard of the Liberator Crash in Landican and I’d be surprised if many people on the Wirral knew about the memorial. It is amazing just how much history has been covered over by landscape on the Wirral and dissolved from memory.
I often cycle on the country track between Landican and Storeton and my train journeys to Wrexham pass by that industrial estate. I shall give a good thought to those people who perished when I make those journeys.
Will you put any more images online?
David
I didn’t know about it either, despite living in the area many years. I saw the monument in the Durley industrial estate by chance – which lead me to do a little research. Yes, I will post more pictures, I just realised that I hadn’t posted anything for a while though so thought I’d make a start!
Wendy:
I am the nephew of the copilot of that aircraft, Harold Wayne Olson. Thank you for remembering and for the photos. Was the map you were using from the aircraft accident report or from other source?
Steve Johnson, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Hi Steve
I’m really thrilled that you found my site – but also sorry for your loss. I found the map in a book called ‘WIRRAL WALKS 100 miles of the best walks in the area’ by Anthony Annakin-Smith. Its under ‘Landican and Little Storeton’. It isn’t that far from where I live, but I hadn’t walked in that particular area before.
Its a lovely walk. Very peaceful.
Wendy