"For almost 70 years, Glenn Miller's death in a wartime plane crash over the Channel has been a source of fascination and speculation. Neither the great American bandleader's body nor the wreckage were ever found, leading to countless claims of a cover-up. But now a previously unreported sighting of the doomed plane has emerged in a teenage planespotter's notebook – and seems to shatter the main theory over Miller's death. The popular explanation suggested that after taking off from England on December 15, 1944, for Paris, where he was due to give a series of morale-boosting concerts to troops, Miller's Norseman light aircraft was hit by a bomb jettisoned by an RAF Lancaster returning to England after an aborted raid on Germany. But now it has emerged that Richard Anderton, then 17, jotted in his notebook how he saw Miller's plane that day east of Reading – and west of London – flying in an east-south-east direction towards the Sussex coast. The timings suggest the Norseman was miles away from the bomb jettison zone over the Channel." Sighting of Glenn Miller's doomed plane by amateur spotter shatters theory that aircraft was downed by falling WWII bomb' | Mail Online
Excellent. Glenn miller is a time machine. Thanks Gordon. Glenn Miller Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade - YouTube
I understand what they are saying, but if the plane was on course and it was not destroyed by a jettisoned bomb, what happened to it? And why has there never been a trace of it found? The article says: "This document is very important because it shows the pilot was flying on the right route and was on schedule and didn't fly to the east as speculated." I would think that would have made wreckage easier to find. I am not trying to be critical of the article, this sounds like it is widely accepted and I accept that, I am just unclear on this. Another aside about my amazing father. In the late 1990's the Glenn Miller Orchestra played in our town. My dad and I went to see them. As we were sitting there Dad said, "They don't look a bit older than they did in 1944." I kind of laughed and then, remembering he never felt the need to tell us about his driving Cary Grant around Camp Crowder when he was in basic, I came to the realization he wasn't kidding. He saw Major Miller in England in 1944. That man is a walking history lesson!
That's an interesting article. For some time the "bomb jettison" theory seemed to be favoured because of a Lancaster crewman's claims that he saw a small plane hit by falling bombs over the channel. I forget his name -- he seemed quite adament about it. I'm looking forward to seeing what information will emerge next.
It's interesting, isn't it ? Numerous single-engined aircraft 'vanished' over the sea in WWII for equally numerous reasons, Because this one had a famous passenger, there is a great fascination. I've never wholeheartedly believed the 'friendly bombs' theory but the Norseman was hardly one of WWII's best-loved aircraft. It went down in the drink and the sea's a big, unfriendly place.
That and if you have ever seen photos of really violent aircraft crashes there is usually not a lot left that may be recoverable/recognizable. Now add in the English Channel and wouldn't surprise me nothing is found especially by the time someone knew they were over due.
While reading The Eagle Squadrons (see my review in the bookreview sub-forum * shameless plug) I was struck by how many Eagle pilots were lost on non-combat patrols and training flights with weather being a prime culprit along with pilot error. The 'bomb' theory seems to satisfy our need to not have lost Miller to something ordinary or trivial. Still unless this spotter could identify the registration letters/numbers how can he be sure it is Millers aircraft?
Agreed it was a poor day for flying and not much may have been 'up', but to be certain you would need to comb every ORB for every logged flight and then need to factor in that a lot of flights taken in light communications aircraft were unofficial and/or unlogged...... Hate to burst anyone's bubble but really, it could have been just about anything......
We may never know what happened to Major Miller - but we do know today is the 108th anniversary of his birth......And the music lives on. Alton Glenn Miller, March 1, 1904 - December 15, 1944 Glenn Miller LIVE - "In The Mood" - '41 - HQ - YouTube
The issue I have with the article, is that a Norseman was sighted. They were a fairly common liaison aircraft, and there's nothing to say that was in fact the Norseman Miller was on.
