The Snowdonia Aviation Historical Society were given permission by the landowner to excavate the crash site in 1985. A mechanical digger unearthed many items, including one of the engines, propeller, carburettors and starters.

The remains of this aircraft are designated as a Protected Place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. The Act makes it an offence to interfere with the wreckage of any crashed, sunken or stranded military aircraft without a licence. For further information on this Act and its administration with regard to aircraft, please contact the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1RZ.

Event and Historical Information:
This C-474 was assigned to the 8t Air Force, 7 EWTAC. The crew comprised pilot Major Graham Jr Wright (no injuries); co-pilot 1st Lt Norman M Shelburne (no injuries); navigator 2nd Lt Fred F Zweiner (no injuries); CC (?) Staff Sgt Leslie I Tuttle (no injuries); and R (?) Corporal James H Darby (no injuries). The aircraft had left from Marrakech and was bound to RAF Valley. The aircraft `TEACUP HOW? made first contact with RAF Valley at 11:29 or (10:00 GMT according to pilot) on 29 march 1944 and was told the set down procedure. At 12:20 the pilot contacted the tower to advise that he had messed up the set down procedure and requested further instructions. He was told to hold on the South West leg at 8000ft until further advised. In his statement, the pilot stated that he had pulled up from 2000ft and circled until 1250 GMT. The tower called until 13:24. The cause of accident was the `radio range very unsatisfactory ? the pilot was never able to get a cone of silence during the entire three hours, as the radio compass was inoperative, the pilot was unable to use it to locate the cone?. The plane ran out of gas and had to be abandoned. It was evident that the plane had hit the ground with a wing first, exploding and scattering wreckage over a 5 acre site. Nothing was salvageable. The five crewmen baled out safely. They landed near Caerhun and were taken to Conway Police station

Sources include:
Doylerush, E, 1999, No Landing Place Volume 2: More Tales of Crashed Aircraft in Snowdownia, pg30
Doylerush, E, 2002, No Landing Place: A Guide to Aircraft Crashes in Snowdonia, pg92
US Army Air Force Report of Aircraft Accident 44-03-29-504, RCAHMW Digital Collections

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, December 2013.