Lt Joe Kennedy Memorial Cache
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Parking is available, coordinates given separately. Cache is on a Byway which cuts through an area owned by Natural England. The track is not really suitable for buggies and wheelchairs due to unlevel ground and soft sand which turns to mud with a bit of rain.
The cache has been placed just off the track, but not inside fenced off area. Please do not go inside fenced off area for any reason- THANK YOU!!
Joseph Patrick Kennedy was the elder brother of President John F. Kennedy, and was born on the 28th July 1915. He completed his flight training at Jacksonville U.S.A. in 1942. As a volunteer U.S. Navy pilot he flew Mariner flying boats from Puerto Rico, Central America, before converting to the B24 Liberator and serving in England at Dunkeswell, Devon, with squadron VB110.
After completing his normal combat tour of 30 missions, he volunteered for an extra 10 - somehow managing to talk his crew in to flying with him. Just before his last mission Lt Kennedy volunteered for one further final mission which involved low level flying and a parachute jump. This mission was to be Top Secret as part of project Anvil, the target being the German V3 Supergun site at Mimoyecques, France. The details of this mission remained secret until 1966, although the identity of the crew was not released until 1970.
At 1752 hours on 12th August 1944, a Consolidated PB4Y–1 Liberator (Bureau No. 32271. Coded T-11) of United States Navy Squadron VB-110 took off from Fersfield–Winfarthing airfield near Diss in Norfolk. It was on a top–secret (Project Anvil) mission. The crew consisted of only two men. Captain was Lieutenant J. P. Kennedy (Junior), USN, son of the former US ambassador to the United Kingdom, Joe Kennedy, and elder brother of the future US President JFK. Co-pilot was Lieutenant W. J. Willy, USN.
The aircraft had been stripped of all armament to save weight, but broom handles were put in the turrets to fool the enemy. Twelve tons of Torpex had been packed into the aircraft (actually 21,170 lbs of Torpex plus six demolition charges each containing 100 lbs of TNT). The Torpex was contained in 374 boxes. The target was the giant 150mm German ‘Super-Gun’ site at Mimoyecques near Calais. After setting a heading for this, the crew were to bale out and the pilotless aircraft would then be radio-controlled to its final destination.
Escorting aircraft were officially listed as two Lockheed PV–1 Venturas, one of which was the radio-control aircraft, one De–Havilland Mosquito photographic aircraft which was flown by Colonel Roosevelt, the son of the US President at that time, two Lockheed P–38 Lightnings and two Boeing B–17 Flying Fortresses. Sixteen North American P–51 Mustangs were also detailed as top cover for the North Sea crossing. The Liberator had been flown manually from take–off in a wide circuit of East Anglia. Once the formation had cleared Halesworth the Liberator switched over from manual flight to radio control. The pilot in the Ventura mothership was making test turns under full control. Lt Kennedy, now flying as a passenger, radioed the codename "Zoot suit" to tell the other crews that every thing was fine. Lt Willy then switched on "Block", which was the codename for the TV camera in the nose used to guide the drone onto the target (Mimoyecques V3 Site). Two minutes later the drone suddenly exploded over New Delight Wood, Blythburgh, Suffolk.
The wreckage was scattered over an area 3 miles long and about 2 miles wide. 3 square miles of heath land was set on fire, 147 properties - some up to 16 miles away were damaged, and hundreds of trees in New Delight Wood were felled as a result of the blast. Despite all this, no civilians were killed. However, no remains of the crew were ever found. The cause of the explosion is believed to be a lack of electrical shielding on "Block" which caused electromagnetic emissions to open up a relay solenoid that should have been closed. When the solenoid opened it set off one of the MK9 detonators, which in turn set off the load of Torpex.
This was the beginning of the Kennedy family tragedies.
The cache is a small, plastic 'click lid' type box with the usual log and pencil in, plus an FTF Keyring plus other bits and pieces. This is a popular area for walkers so you will have to watch out for muggles.
This cache has been placed with the kind permission of Natural England.
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