Exactly what happened to the Noorduyn Norseman in which Miller was flying as a passenger has remained a mystery to this day, but an entry in Shaw’s logbook for that crucial date reports an aborted bombing mission in which the bombs carried by his Avro Lancaster had to be jettisoned in a designated area of the English Channel, 50 miles south of Beachy Head. Shortly after the bomb aimer had released a 4000lb ‘cookie’, a Norseman was spotted flying below them and Shaw’s log reports that the aircraft went into a spin and crashed into the sea. It cannot be absolutely certain that this was Miller’s aircraft, but it is a strong possibility.
The logbook, together with various documents, letters, photographs, newspaper reports and even Shaw’s medals, were valued at £600-800 in the Sussex sale of April 13, but the bidding rose to £19,000 before the lot was knocked down to William Suitts, a Glenn Miller fan from Boulder, Colorado, who flew B24 bombers during WWII.
‘Glenn Miller’ logbook sells for £19,000
The flying logbook of Fred Shaw, an RCAF navigator, received quite a lot of media publicity when Sotheby’s Sussex announced its sale, because of a suggestion that it sheds light on the disappearance of bandleader Glenn Miller in December 1944.
