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| P-47 Thunderbolt |
| Location of the Crash Site |
| The field in which the Plane Crashed |
| The Plaque on Upton Bypass |
| The Propeller & Engine from Simpsons P-47 |
| The Plaque on Upton Bypass |
| The Pilots last view inside the Cockpit of a Republic Thunderbolt P-47 |
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On the 9th January 1944 a Republic Thunderbolt P-47 crashed into a field over Saughall Massey. Eye
witnesses says that the plane was in flames by the time that it struck the ground. The pilot had
clearly been trying to land the plane but upon impact with the ground the P47 flipped over killing the
pilot and destroying the aircraft.
To this day no body knows what happened to force this aircraft to crash land or burst into flames but
there are accounts of the events that lead upto this incident. Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpson had
taken off from United States Airbase "Burtonwood" in Lancashire. He flew out to sea to test the
plane but upon its return over the Hoylake area the pilot reported that the plane was on fire. It
circled over the RAF Camp at Greasby several times to find a clear landing spot. Shortly after the P47
was seen to lose height rapidly. The pilot looked to be landing the plane but as he did the aircraft
flipped over and ended up in a field near the Arrow Brook.
Several pieces of Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpsons plane were dug up in 1974 and now reside in the
museum at Fort Perch in New Brighton. The pilots gold class ring was found in the wreckage and
presented to his cousin Rose Nell Godfrey who gave it to the local Legion post only to be stolen
several years later during the 1970s. The pilots unused parachute was also found on the wreck site
and it contained on display at Perch Rock along with several other artifacts found at the crash site.
The Saughall Massey bypass contains a small plaque dedicated to Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpson
which can be seen in the pictures below:
witnesses says that the plane was in flames by the time that it struck the ground. The pilot had
clearly been trying to land the plane but upon impact with the ground the P47 flipped over killing the
pilot and destroying the aircraft.
To this day no body knows what happened to force this aircraft to crash land or burst into flames but
there are accounts of the events that lead upto this incident. Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpson had
taken off from United States Airbase "Burtonwood" in Lancashire. He flew out to sea to test the
plane but upon its return over the Hoylake area the pilot reported that the plane was on fire. It
circled over the RAF Camp at Greasby several times to find a clear landing spot. Shortly after the P47
was seen to lose height rapidly. The pilot looked to be landing the plane but as he did the aircraft
flipped over and ended up in a field near the Arrow Brook.
Several pieces of Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpsons plane were dug up in 1974 and now reside in the
museum at Fort Perch in New Brighton. The pilots gold class ring was found in the wreckage and
presented to his cousin Rose Nell Godfrey who gave it to the local Legion post only to be stolen
several years later during the 1970s. The pilots unused parachute was also found on the wreck site
and it contained on display at Perch Rock along with several other artifacts found at the crash site.
The Saughall Massey bypass contains a small plaque dedicated to Lieutenant Jay Frederick Simpson
which can be seen in the pictures below: