Headed to Wheeldale Moor to look at the standing stone known as Blue Man-i’-th’-Moss but minded of a comment from my wife that this week has been rock week I diverted to seek out a goddess, a Green Goddess. During the hot dry summer of 1976, the North York Moors became tinder dry resulting in over 60 wildfires erupted covering an area of over 750 hectares on Wheeldale and the surrounding moors. Flued by peat and fanned by winds the fires burnt for weeks. Firemen worked all daylight hours trying to take control with extra fire engines on loan from the army. These army fire tenders were based on the Bedford truck and were affectionately known as Green Goddesses. One such engine became stuck in the peat and was eventually abandoned to be engulfed by the flames. The remains can be found a few hundred metres south-west of the Blue Man-i’-th’-Moss. I believe it was a Green Goddess that became met its fate that summer on Wheeldale Moor but the chassis does seem small to me. I wonder how much has been salvaged or removed by souvenir hunters. 34 years earlier another machine ended up on Wheeldale. On the night of 17/18th December 1942, a German Dornier Do217 aircraft crashed killing all of its crew. It was on a bombing mission to York. I kept my eyes open but without a precise grid reference, it’s a bit of a needle in a haystack.
A Green Goddess
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13 responses to “A Green Goddess”
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Hi
The grid ref for the crash site is SE784981-
Great. Thanks, Gavin.
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The fire engine was a standard fire engine from Lythe that burnt out on the night of Sunday 27th June 1976. No Green goddesses were deployed until the following week as it was felt that the fire could be contained by the brigade. The engine was a water tender that had disposed of its load in order to dampen down the remaining smouldering peat. Unfortunately it only managed to enlarge the wet peat and sunk up to its axles. As no towing vehicles were available until the next day it was left overnight with a small crew in attendance. The peat was still alight underground and spread under the engine appearing on the surface a short distance from it. The flames were blown towards the engine which, of course, had no water to put it out with. The fire continued until 17th September 1976.
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Thanks for that info, Paul.
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It was a Ampleforth MDU (mobile dam unit) used by the forestryw commission staff my late father was one of the crew…… I’ve got a picture of the burnt wreck when it still had the cab and other parts on the front cover of the forestry slasher magazine
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Thanks, Jim. Extra info. much appreciated.
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Probably not coincidence, but spotted this on FaceBook today https://www.facebook.com/groups/349999699675100/permalink/604111414263926/
You, I assume. Interesting comments too.
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Yes I found it at home, it’s one of the forestry commission staff magazines my dad had kept, and I posted it on the Nostalgia group… I thought it was interesting
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It was the forestry commissions own fire tender apparently based at Dalby Forest workshops…. I’ve asked a chap this morning that worked with my father and he was also based on the tender apparently they tried to tow it out with a bulldozer but the chain snapped and by the time they got another it was to late.
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I actually raised the alarm for the fire at 5:26 on the Sunday evening. I met the first fire engine (From Whitby) as it left the Wheeldale road to drive up the forestry road. We parked up and I followed the first firemen to the fire ground. One pointed out the seat of the fire and the direction of spread . We were joined by a water tender from Lythe and after a short time by the Ampleforth part timers. By 8pm the surface fire was out and most of the firemen stood down. The Lythe water tender remained behind to douse any hotspots and put out any reignitions. I left the site about 9pm. The water tender became stuck as it tried to put some new flames out. It then discharged its remaining water onto the moor. As there was no perceived danger no other vehicles were left on the moor. The fire crept under the peat stranding the tender and igniting it. It was not until the following morning that further vehicles were sent as the fire had restarted again. Paul Hutton, The estate manager was responsible for calling for further assistance in conjunction with the fire brigade. The army was deployed later in the week. The Forestry assisted in controlling the burns spreading to the trees but did not attack the flames themselves. I attended the fireground every night until September 17th. But that is another, much longer, story.
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Excellent Paul. Thanks. I think it’s important that these memories are recorded.
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A whole set of factors were in play during the fires. In fact there were three separate major fires during the latter stages. The fire brigade dealt with the Wheeldale one but hadn’t the manpower to cover the other two. The one to the west was left to the estate staff assisted by the Forestry Commission and I think that the two have become confused within people’s memories. Certainly FC vehicles assisted in the second fire as access was easy from the Rosedale to Castleton road. I manned the Wheeldale control point situated just north of Hamer most evenings between 5pm and midnight so was aware of events as they took place. I didn’t see any vehicles other than the army vehicles and thd Lythe water tender actually on the fireground. Vehicular access was only possible from Hamer and even my aging Ford Anglia was commissioned into action ferrying staff to the fireground. There is a whole lot more of interest which sometime I must put into print.
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Excellent. Do you know of any feature of the landscape which is a result of the fires? The burnt out tender obviously but I’ll be interested of any other.
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