aircraft wreckage on display in museums

I'm writing a short essay about people's reactions to seeing aircraft wreckage on display in museums.

If anyone has seen a piece of wreckage on display which had an impact on you, please feel free to post what it was, where, and what did you feel.
i'll use the Halifax wreckage in Hendon as an example.

What was your reaction when you saw it?

did the wreckage make you think about how it crashed and if there were any survivors?

As opposed to wreckage, does intact aircraft on display make you think about what it was like flying one in wartime?

The object of this essay is to find out whether audiences reflect more when looking at wreckage.
Please feel free to write your thoughts.

Depends on the wreckage. If it's from a 'common' aircraft, e.g., B.24, Spitfire, then I se it for what it is. However if it's from a 'rare' aircraft, e.g., Hawker Typhoon, Stirling, then my reaction tends to be more towards if only someone had been able to keep a whole one intact. But at least a certain amount still exists, which is better than no remains at all.

Wrecks on display make me think of the poor soul(s) who lost their life/lives - if the crash was fatal of course. It hammers home the reality of war. Seeing the B-24, at Duxford for example, just says 'Here's an aircraft, this is what they look like and what colour they are'. There's a Spitfire wreck at Hendon I think, sort of hidden under the stairs and the story of what happened is detailed with it. Similar to the Defiant wreckage that was at the Boulton-Paul museum (anyone know if that's closed of if they found somewhere to move?). I can't remember if the Defiant wreckage was a fatal crash, but these wrecks say, 'This was an aircraft and look at how massive the effect of warfare has been on it.'

It doesn't even need to be wreckage, there's a P-51 at Cosford that was in a fatal crash and rebuilt, although I think it was crashed in civilian hands, but even that, the first thing I think of is the chap who died, rather than the aircraft.

Steve

SteveS;120969 wrote:

There's a Spitfire wreck at Hendon I think, sort of hidden under the stairs and the story of what happened is detailed with it.

Think i know where that is,
Can't remember seeing a Spitfire wreck, although i did see a Hurricane wreck under the stairs in the Battle of Britain/ Coastal Command Hall.
When reading the text to find that the pilot died whilst bailing out (parachute failure) was very sad to read.

The Wellington "R for Robert" at Brooklands is most evocative and yes, the rear gunner/crewman died during its last flight from 20 OTU. Having shown people around the aircraft (who, generally, are related to ex-Wellington crew), most come out of the aircraft in a very subdued manner, even tearfull, especially if a relative had been killed whilst flying in that type of aircraft. Its expresence no doubt conjours up all manner of thoughts and reactions...
AndyWis

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at the former RAF East Kirkby has a lot of wrecks and recovered parts, collected by a local recovery group.
I have to admit I have mixed feelings about it, I love to see the parts and tangible links to our history, but then there is the human story behind it too, some are quite poignant...
If you have never been to East Kirkby here is a link to my photo album on Photobucket with a lot of pictures of the recovered parts: s230.beta.photobucket.com/user/Bradlad71...%20Heritage%20Centre

Interesting to see al_fromthevalleys post on aircraft wreckage. I'm currently in the process of trying to record all of the military aircraft crash sites in South Wales from the Second World War to the middle of the Cold War.
This project proposes to carry out an analysis and assessment of the type and amount of Second World War Allied aircraft that still survives in Southeast Wales and along with historic background data, documentary research, as well as targeted mapping based on detailed aerial photographic material, as well as targeted survey fieldwork as necessary in order to create a database of crash sites to help recognise the importance of sites in terms of survival, rarity or historical importance. Leading to the production of management recommendations and specific scheduling proposals as required (all by the end of March!!). If anybody has any info about crash site locations or fancies helping, let me know.

Thanks for all your responses so far, they have been very useful.
If anyone else wants to contribute please feel free to do so.

Bradlad i agree with you about some of the exhibits at LAHC. When i went there back in 2005 i saw the Spitfire wreckage with some of the pilot's personal artefacts. really sad especially when they have the pilot's picture on display. Thanks for the photobucket link.