WW2 Engine Reborn - Buried for 70 years the story of Halifax JD150
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- The amazing story of a Merlin Engine buried in a bog for almost 70 years, recovered and rebuilt to run.
In 1943 a Handley Page Halifax Bomber JD150 was tasked to attack the German city of Hamburg. For some reason the aircraft strayed away from the main bomber force and was attacked by a night fighter. The Halifax caught fire and crashed into a bog. There were no survivors.
Most of the aircraft and the bodies of the crew were taken away but the four Rolls Royce Merlin XX (20) Engines were left behind. In 2009 they were recovered and taken to the Wings Museum in Sussex. Here over a period of several years one of the engines was rebuilt.
With its unique saxophone style exhaust the engine was run in memory of the crew in front of a gathering of bomber command veterans in September 2018.
Handley Page Halifax Mk 2 JD150 102 Squadron Royal Air Force.
The noise of a Merlin is incredible. I was close enough once to a Lancaster while all four engines we're fired up for take off, the ground felt like it was shaking. What an experience that was, such a fantastic overwhelming sound !
VimyScout ---yeah it's pretty cool
It makes the hair's on my arms stand up when I hear one go by
In Auckland,NZ back in the 1960's the Museum of Transport and Technology had a lancaster stuck in a corner on display, every so often they would fire it up.
.th-cam.com/video/iQmaiukpNRc/w-d-xo.html
I was lucky enough to get a 'guided tour of the BoB flight at RAF Finningly quite a few years ago, I sat in a Spitfire and had a look at the bomb bay of the Lancaster from underneath,...I just asked a member of the groundcrew, 'any chance of a closer look?'..and he said, 'yeh..It's quiet, come on'....amazing day!...I'm 65 now and I still haven't forgot it!
VimyScout Funny the same day you posted this comment, I was plating on my ps3 and I heard that sound, that *sound* so I went outside and watched a Lancaster fly right low over my house, and my God did it sound good
RIP, thank you for your service.
My dad was a mechanic during the war and was responsible for the maintenance of Merlin engines on Halifax bombers. He passed away a few years ago at the age of 92. As I recall from my discussions with him, I think each mechanic had just one engine to look after and the engines had to be rebuilt after 100 hours of use (can anyone confirm these?). It was rare for him to discuss his time in England (He's from Canada) as I think it weighed heavy on him. I do also recall him saying he and the other ground crew would all too often have to assist in removing the remains of the flight crew. Its no wonder he didn't talk much about it. I still have the Merlin engine maintenance manuals.
The TBO for early Merlins fitted to bomber aircraft was 300 hours, which was extended to 420 for the Merlin 24 and 360 hours for the earlier marks of Merlins. This applies to 4-engined bombers only.
respect x.
hmm, how about a link to the engines museum in the description as it got obscured by photos at the end of the video?
its Wings Museum in Balcombe ,Sussex England www.wingsmuseum.co.uk
infact there is another Engine run on saturday 2nd March with George Dunn dfc starting it again
My dad was a WOP in a Halifax , told me that a microphone was fitted into one of the merlins , he would tune in to the frequency of the German night fighters and would broadcast the roaring merlin engine into their headphones for obvious reasons !!, dad still going at 96 but in care home - dementia sadly , memories gone but I have them now for him
Please thank your dad for me on helping to save the world from fascism. M.
aww thats unfortunate, him out of all people to get dementia. he had alot to tell I would guess. is he still alive?
@@eliaslundstedt5607 no died 2 years ago at 96 had a charmed life escaped death a few times on ops , had to bail out over Belgium with a half deployed parachute on his 29th op captured after 2 days on the run spent rest of war as a POW - thanks for asking
@@eliaslundstedt5607 sorry got his age wrong - 98
Dr David Perlmutter .. "Brain Grain" or "Grain Brain". He is a FLA neuro-surgeon. He claims alzheimers and dimentia are directly related to the consumption of grains. He said, removing grain from the victim's diet, booting fat intake, will show results in a few weeks.
The look on the face of those 2 vets just says it all. They heard their youth fire up one more time, the fear, the victorys, all of it coming back in a huge rush.
The aircraft and crew who heard that sound are gone but their engine lives on as their legacy.
Pilot. Sgt.Gordon Harry Brown, age 19. Good grief, so young and in charge of a complex piece of machinery and flying at night too. Respect.
I was thinking the same myself, 19 is no age at all.
"The pilot: Sergeant Gordon Harry Brown. Aged 19"
Such a few words but what a young man he must have been. 19 years old and flying a bomber on night missions over Germany. God bless 'em all ...
Yea that got me as well 19 years old . RIP
Different breed for sure ................ today's youth can tell you everything you need to know about mobile phones
MichaelKingsfordGray - There are no atheists in foxholes.
MichaelKingsfordGray Message from the mentally challenged, from your perspective anyway.
This is an aviation video, why don’t you make aviation related remarks to the posts? I have seen your similar stupid comments in other aircraft related posts. Do you actually believe that you are some kind of a unique entity because you are an atheist? Nobody gives a shit when a nobody like you ever loses an opportunity to try to ridicule people who are religious.
Get a life and move on and allow others the live the way they choose.
Amazing the responsibility on those young men. Wing Commander Guy Gibson was 24 years old when he led the raid on the dams.
wow a Merlin engine powered Halifax bomber and a engine that was unearthed from a crashsite in the 40s and ran again. I'm sure that the engines flying days are over, even if someone wanted to mount the engine in a plane. not worth it. too much history. RIP to that Halifax crew.
Just like in Maritime where the ship's bell is it's soul. When you ring it, the ship, and it's men, are speaking again. We got to hear the aircraft, and it's crew, one more time.
It's a true testament to the remarkable strength of the engineering of the Merlin that an engine that was one of four on a Halifax that was shot down in wartime service over Hamburg was able to be returned to operation over 70 years after the aircraft crashed, and a remarkable tribute to the brave crew on that night and also all the brave crews of Bomber Command who gave so much in the war...
Well done Lads, well done. What a truly great thing you've done for these veteran bomber crew who so often live in the shadow of the fighter pilots. The loss rate Bomber Command suffered during WWII is staggering. These men are the finest examples of courage in human history. Fighters had more control over there actions in the air. Bomber crews did not and yet they continued flying combat mission all the while knowing the odds were they had little chance of ever coming home. Humbled by their bravery.
Sometimes, and this is one, I wish TH-cam would let you like a video more than once!
There is something deeply wrong about hearing the name of someone so young, followed by the words 'killed in action',
You could see the smile on their faces when that engine came alive. It’s as if they returned to their youth once more.
I know exactly what you mean. 50yrs ago I was discharged from the US Navy Submarine Service, having served on WWII era "boats" . Last year I took my great grand daughter to a kiddies ride and she chose the submarine to ride in. Upon siting down a recording of submarine diving alarm (Klaxon) sounded. She laughed, but I was back in the conning tower on the helm 50 years ago.
Those veterans, during that moment of silence, i was wondering, what were they thinking of? I mean, all they have been through, the things they have seen, the sounds they have heard.
Thinking about that, you can only have the deepest respect for their afford....
Fabulous work to restore this Merlin, and a very touching "restart" ceremony too. Such brave men.
alan cox
1 second ago
Early Halifax's were death traps due to rudders tending to stick at full lock. The later, big rectangular vertical tail surfaces were designed to remedy this.
It always amazes me the age of some of these pilots,...19 and in charge of (what was for the time) a huge aircraft AND flying it to war....
now youths of today at 19, we have snowflakes,
Most 19 year olds these years cant even boil a kettle.
@@theravedaddy
Don't worry, the RAF can straighten out any of them, they've been in that business for years.
Won't find anybody doing that today in this Century day and age nor some nineteen-year-old from this Century because it's two different life-forms styles mental capacity Etc you won't find anybody today fighting World War II they don't have it in them
What a great way to honour all that flew those planes then get a former pilot to start the engine for the first time since the crash and have him read out the names of the crew that flew the plane that the engine came from Lest We Forget
Thank you to every one of those brave veterans,brings a tear to my eyes & a lump in my throat ❤
Just amazing they could get any one of the 4 Merlin engines to run considering those engines were not only buried in the ground for 70 years but they must have arrived at that spot rather abruptly.
Well the marshy ground would have slowed down the engines and if continually damp it could also have prevented significant corrosion. It is the wet then dry cycle which aids in the breakdown of many things.
Superb engine, rolls built and unique sound.
@@alancooper6377 I believe lots of the Merlin assembly work was done by females, due to there fine touch and feel !
@@johnfellows2867 no. That's because men where on the Battlefront
i remember the day the radio announced that the last man who fought in ww1 passed away, it was a sad day. knowing i will eventually hear the same thing said of the great men who fought in ww2 is just heart breaking.
All those people died on the first day of my life...
Another Lovey restoration done by Peter Grieve well done
Bloody brilliant work guys. Great to see the old boys faces light up 👍🏻we will remember them.
A very sad and sobering point at 5:00 which is the reality of war. Lest we forget.
Good pics mate. Loved every moment.
Especially intrigued with the ingenious exhaust system.
And that sound made me shiver.
Great memorial to the crew members who lost their lives.
Great story just think about it the pilot was only 19 how many of today's 19 year Olds could do this much respect
Well done chaps, I know how hard but rewarding it is to do these projects. David Chairman SYTM
Very moving........... Thanks for upload :-)
My half brother was killed in a Halifax, on the last punitive RAF raid of the war, over Kiel.
The work of restoring, repairing broken parts, finding parts, rebuilding, trailer design and building, installing and testing was done by Peter Grieve of Flight Engineering in Leeds. Pity his dedicated work wasn't mentioned.
I would just like to add my thanks to you for mentioning the restoration mechanic, who should have had his important work recognised in this video.
@@markfryer9880 why should he? Did he not get paid? This is a short video not a comprehensive history of every part. Why weren't the original builders of the engine mentioned eh??
A response from wings museum, there was a lot of filming done on the day and it was heavily cut, the priority and what the day was really about was the veterans and the crew of JD150, there are plans to produce a contributors board as there are many people and organisations that need thanking not just one individual.
David ‘
Big thanks to all the mechanics preset and past that keep these machines running.
How fantastic and well done to the restoration group!
A handful of those who appalled and offended by history, gave a resounding Thumbs Down....
Graéat contend, keep up the god work!
Good job the brakes on the trailer worked. Guy Martins Merlin went for a run and was stopped by a dry stone wall
Some where sadly destroyed in fires so it is hard to find
Excellent restoration, a fitting tribute to all the men that flew behind them, thank you.
Glad to see former BC aircrew given recognition. We will remember them .
Brave men,all of them! A long way to Germany from England.
Down here, I live in a sparsly populated area near Hamilton, Ontario, where I have the pleasure of hearing four of these things go over my house every few weeks or so, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Lancaster is an amazing bird, often seen flying with the B-25. Amazing to see another one of these engines running!
What an emotional day it must have been for those who attended this service. Very proud of those vets who were able to take part. Myself and my family will remember those too who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Another great video guys, thank you.
Awesome video,the names of the brave dead were read out loud so that they will not be lost to history and time and those veterans still living and in attendance must have felt like they went back in time in a time when lives mattered enough to go and confront the tyrants of that time and stop them in their tracks.
This crew covered both ends of the flight crew age range which must have made for an interesting scene during the Crew Up in training where all aircrew were put in a hall and told to sort themselves into crews.
Fantastic job. Well done to all concerned and involved in the restoration. Brilliant to see the former crews in attendance.
Wow the ages of the crew, shocking when ya hear it
It is sad to say that in the US there are people who don’t want the history of WWII to be taught in schools.
. We must NEVER lose the teaching of history. My father was in the navy in WWII and I am so proud of his service. God love people who choose to remember this important era.
Can you imagine what it was like in war time with those merlins coming over your head probably normal at that time but now a sound that will never be forgotten thanks to the bbmf and the Panton family at East kirkby
Well done boys .fantastic job .
Thank that very, very thoughtful German man. When one thinks of the terrible destruction wrought on Germany it is quite remarkable that one of their citizens had the decency to try and preserve the engines.
Not going to lie this brought a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat as my great uncle met his fate on jd 147 from 419 squadron rcaf letters vr c
Well done!
You could see in the veterans faces that it took them back. Amazing.
The engine started and for a moment the crew of that long lost bomber lived again.
I'm trying to get my head around the fact that the ages of several members of the lost aircrew have been lost. Bomber command had such high physical and mental standards for aircrew and the training was costly and constant. Add that to its meticulous record keeping and it is really amazing that such basic information has been misplaced.
I'm 0ver 50yrs old and i am so proud of that generation. Not so proud of todays!!!
It's very special indeed to hear that engine come to life again after all these years, especially knowing that the last time it was running , it was carrying a crew of seven young men on their last fatal trip. What a tribute to those young men. Their memory will live on now.
Not only first comment, but FIRST VIEW too!
Sorry mate, I just happened to be looking in the right direction at the right time.
Incredible,my dad and moms generation,the best ever,hopefully my President can find modern people to shape their lives after them!
I'm Lucky to have the Canadian Lancaster MK X fly over the house in the spring/fall As there is many jets and planes that fly over You know its Vera She sings for you to look up
Thanks guys, brought a tear to my eye.
live in biggin hill where someone at the airfield owns and flys a spitfire the noise of the merlin engine is my favorite mechanical noise ever as it flies over the town
goodwood1052221 , I know that there are several spitfires at Biggin hill about six or seven I believe.
Greatest generation.
Music to my ears
Wow ! What a story and recovery . Amazing to think it sat all those years from a crashed aircraft but could still be rebuilt.
The pilot was just 19 and flying bomber missions over Germany - blimey ! How come the ages are not know of so many of the crew ? Would have thought that was basic recorded stuff.
Amazing they got it running again.
As soon as the engine started, you could see the memories flooding back to those guys...
alan cox
Early Halifax's were death traps due to rudders tending to stick at full lock. The later, big rectangular vertical tail surfaces were designed to remedy this.
0:35 is a Halifax Mk.V - square fins and a fully glazed nose
Good eye. My dad flew the radial engine version in 1944. 425 squadron RCAF. Full 35 ops. He was 26.
A fitting tribute to the crew of JD150 and a valuable historical restoration. Well done.
Wonderful restoration, thank you.
Just found this on TH-cam! So pleased to see it. And without doubt, will be visiting you guys soon. Thank you all for your commitment, to preserve this piece of our heritage, and make it work again! x
My son Nigel is 19. A wonderful young man but in many ways a boy. 19! My God!
You know the stillness of the veterans when watching that engine starting up, their memories from 70+ years came flooding back in their minds..
God Speed and thank you for the fight for freedom..
🇺🇸 I am American, navy pilot father, and simply love and appreciate the RAF🇬🇧
Rolls Royce needs to break down and let us restart pouring new Merlin 20 engine blocks. Imagine the weight savings if the CAD/CAM crews go ahold of that design.
Nighthawke70 Probably not a lot.
There's nothing stopping anyone from scanning the block, and redesigning it for the modern age to be 3D printed/CAD'ed... it would be significantly different enough that Rolls Royce would have a hard time enforcing any sort of intellectual property copyrights on it. By the same token, those sorts of modifications would likely dramatically alter the performance envelope of the engine itself... preparing a Merlin today with today's technology is not that difficult. And consequently, building one to modern tolerances and with modern materials will result in an engine performing much better than the original did. They do this already, in limited volume, on today's racing aircraft...
Superb effort and many thanks to all of you for preserving our historical heritage, God Bless you all .
The engine that led the allied forces to victory
scrappin? how dare they even think of sucha thing those engines had a turture with a crash and 70 years of mudd and water im thankfull they did not scrap them
My grandfather was navigator with 161 special duties squadron at RAF Tempsford. His Halifax DK119 crashed due to engine failure during a low level supply drop in central France in August 1943
Love the PACKARD MERLIN ROLLS ROYCE ENGINE DAMN SAME WASNT INSTALLED IN A P38 like they did the P51 sure would made a big difference in range and ceiling
Greatest engine ever built.
Fantastic
We have an airworthy Lancaster in Hamilton Ontario Canada. It flies several times a week throughout the summer and into the fall. Quite often I see it fly directly over my house, sometimes with a Mitchell bomber. It is maintained by the Canadian warplane Heritage museum along with many other WWII aircraft in flying condition and some on static display. Rides are available for the public on many of their aircraft including the Lancaster.
I fail to understand how there are 50 people who watched this video give it a thumbs down. Despicable folks, they must surely be. A pox to each and every one of them!
Beautiful! Outstanding! Moving! We honour these men and women who flew the Halifax! #halifaxjd150 #handleypagehalifax #merlin #veteran #veterans
Wonder how that old boy felt pressing that button and hearing that Merlin roar up......instantly back to 20 years old again I bet
The saxophone changes the merlin noise quite a bit. The blatt is softened right off. Such a beautiful machine, such a horrendous job it had to do.
Lots of dead Merlins in the UK. And quite a few live ones as well. Airworthy ones are probably very few however.
Thanks for this. What a great tribute to a lost brave crew. RIP.
Absolutely amazing!!
would like to know what had to be rep[laced in the motor as i would be astounded that any on the mag and alloy parts survived
I want to get a napier sabre or nomad to run at airshows .. the problem is the scarcity and lack of parts thereof
Starting them would be fun too, the crowd would need to be in asbestos firesuits and bulletproof vests
shoominati23 Most of the sabres are owned by the Hawker Typhoon restoration group and Kermit weeks, no way you’d be able to get one from them as they intend to fly them in aircraft
In some way I linked to John tyler. My second is tyler
Are the Vets made of stone? I cried like a crocodile when the Merlin started up.
I look at nineteen-year old's today and wonder what has gone wrong in the intervening years.
I loved it and shared it with my RAAF mates, who loved it as well, cheers