Air Crash, Mottram-in-Longdendale, 1942.

Air Crash, Mottram-in-Longdendale, 1942.

Location

Alongside the entrance to the lower graveyard in Mottram-in-Longdendale.

Description

A bronze plaque mounted at a place where there is a good view over the accident site and along the Longdendale valley. In addition to the inscription, the plaque shows a image of the aircraft flying over the same view.

Inscription

  MOTTRAM AIR CRASH

This plaque commemorates the untimely death of the young Polish pilot Joseph Gawkowski
who died in a plane crash in the Londendale Valley on the afternoon of Sunday 19th July 1942.

At just twenty years old, Pilot Gawkowski was flying a small ‘Miles Master Mark III, training
aircraft from the Newton Airfield near Nottingham over to Glossop and Longdendale.

Eyewitnesses have told of the deafening roar as the aircraft swept over the rooftops of Mottram.
The pilot circled the village a couple of times before making a right turn, clipping a pylon wire
with his aircraft wing. The aircraft then nose dived and crashed in the gully below Mottram.

All who witnessed the sight on that fatefull summer afternoon have never forgotten the small
yellow plane and its dashing young pilot.

This event was recorded by Alan Jones, who unvelled this plaque on the 16th day of
March 2006 along with Councillor S R Oldham CBE, Executive Leader,
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

Air Crash, Mottram-in-Longdendale, 1942.

Carl's Cam