Fylde Coast Series #3 - Freckleton/Warton (Lancs) Traditional Cache
BedlingtonDuo: Time to let someone else put a cache round here!
Fylde Coast Series #3 - Freckleton/Warton (Lancs)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The 3rd in a series of caches placed around the Fylde Coast in Lancashire - this one is near Warton Aerodrome.
Freckleton was originally used by the Romans as a port serving their fort at Kirkham, a few miles inland. In 1814 a shipyard was established and the first ocean going vessel was built in 1871. Six schooners, ten sharking boats, a sailing yacht and five barges were built. In later years the shipyard serviced all the lifeboats in the North West of England. All shipbuilding activity has now ceased.
The town had floated unnoticed down the stream of time until one late summer's morning in 1944 when it became national news. On Wednesday August 23rd of that year at 10:30 in the morning an American Air Force B24H was cleared for take-off from nearby Warton's runway 08. Shortly after the aircraft took off warning was received that a violent storm was approaching the area and an immediate recall was issued. Witnesses related that the rain was so heavy that it was impossible to see across the road. The wind uprooted trees and thunder and lightning rolled across the sky. However, the aircraft was caught in a massive downdraught as it headed away and the B24 plunged to earth in the centre of Freckleton. The aircraft totally destroyed the Sad Sac café on the north side of the Lytham Road where some American and RAF personnel had joined civilians sheltering from the storm. The bomber crossed the road and ploughed into the infant class of Freckleton's Holy Trinity School, causing massive loss of life. Petrol from the aircraft tanks exploded and the centre of the village was engulfed in flames.
From the infant classroom only 3 children emerged alive, 35 children and 2 teachers died. One of the teachers, a Miss Jenny Hall, had only arrived at the school the day before the accident. Bodies of six Americans and four RAF members along with several civilians were recovered from the café. Several of the more seriously injured victims died within the next weeks. The total death toll was 61.
The majority of the victims are buried in a communal grave in the village's Holy Trinity Churchyard. A year later two thousand people watched the official opening of a Memorial Playground constructed by American servicemen as a permanent memorial. A bronze plaque set into a seven-ton block of granite is the centrepiece of an ornamental garden.
Team Falcon has created a virtual cache which incorporates the memorial (Freckleton Memorial GCGM9G):-
(visit link)
Nearby Warton Aerodrome is home to British Aerospace's military aircraft division where fighter jets such as the Tornado & Eurofighter are developed and test flown. It is also home to the only UAV test facility outside of Area 51 in Nevada. Watch out for UFOs!
The cache is hidden just off the Lancashire Coastal Way which is a 137 mile footpath that starts at Freckleton and winds northward to Silverdale near the Cumbrian border. The cache is not within direct sight of the aerodrome, however, please do not do this cache at night as you might create a security scare - the path at times skirts the aerodrome perimeter fence!
You will need wellies or boots for this one. Remember that this area is a marsh/flood plane so it is essential that you keep to the path. Also, be wary of jetsam when you are walking and when you are searching.
You can approach the cache from either Warton or Freckleton but I recommend parking off the road at N 53 44.398 W 2. 52.436 or thereabouts. Head south down the lane for a short distance and climb over the stile to join the Coastal Way.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh fubhyqa'g unir gbb znal ceboyrzf svaqvat guvf - gbhpu jbbq!