ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 109785
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| Date: | Saturday 21 April 1945 |
| Time: | 17:00 |
| Type: |  Martin B-26F Marauder |
| Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) |
| Registration: | 42-96277 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, South Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Marrakesh |
| RAF St Mawgan |
Landing accident
Details:
The 322nd Bomb Group.
The group was formed in the United States in the summer of 1942. It was equipped with the B-26 Marauder and would use that aircraft throughout the war. The group's ground echelon began to cross the Atlantic in November-December 1942, followed by the aircrew and aircraft in March and April 1943. On the 13th of May 1943 the group was declared operational, as part of the Eighth Air Force. This was the day that saw the 4th Bombardment Wing enter combat, and the available aircraft strength of the Eighth Air Force rise from 100 to 215 as the US build-up began to gather pace. Its first combat mission came on the 14th of May and was an attack on a power station in Holland. This first low-level attack was successful, but a second low-level attack on the 17th of May was a total disaster. Eleven aircraft were sent on the raid. One returned early, but all ten that pressed on to their target were lost, shot down either by anti-aircraft fire or by German fighters.
After this disaster low level medium bomber operations were suspended. The group spent two months training to operation from medium altitude, before returning to combat on the 17th of July 1943. The new medium level tactics were more effective and were tried out against German airfields between July 1943 and February 1944. The group was awarded a DUC (Distinguished Unit Citation) for the period between 14 May 1943 and 24 July 1944, reflecting the success of the new tactics.
On the 16th of October 1943 the 322nd was one of six groups transferred to the Ninth Air Force from the Eighth, after the Ninth moved from the Mediterranean to Britain. This included four bombardment groups that formed the entire bomber strength of the Ninth until the spring of 1944.
On the 22nd of February 1944 the 322nd became one of the first groups in the Ninth Air Force to be guided to its target by pathfinder aircraft, during a raid on Coxyda airfield in Holland. In March 1944 the group began to focus on transport links, attacking road and rail bridges and oil facilities as part of the build-up to D-Day. The group also took part in the attack on the German V-1 bases.
During this time the Army Air Force were still ferrying aircraft over the Atlantic via the Northern and Summer routes, depending on the time of the year. Marauder 42-96277 left Florida on the Southern route to Marrakesh. On the 21st of April she was dispatched from Marrakesh and cleared for RAF St Mawgan, then after refuelling, they were to carry on to station Y235, RAF Rougham. The pilot was Lt Seipp and his 2nd, was Lt Render. They proceeded to St Mawgan but when they finally arrived over the field they found the weather conditions were totally unsuitable for landing.
Lt Seipp reported to St Mawgan control that he had approximately one- and one-half hours of fuel supply left. Upon receiving this, St Mawgan Control diverted him to RAF Valley, North Wales.
The aircraft flew off towards Valley over the overcast, the time now was 16:15hrs and daylight was rapidly diminishing and a fairly strong headwind blew. The fact now was they had a low percentage of reaching Valley. Upon sighting a break in the clouds Seipp let down through the thick clouds, now down to a couple of a thousand feet ASL the crew could not locate an airfield, then the weather began to close the break, now below the overcast and gloom, the pilot decided not to go back into the ‘fugg’ but stay below, keeping the ground in sight and also diminishing any chance of an unwelcome mountain.
The fuel was now critical, the time now was 1650hrs when one of the crew spotted a large beach below. This was the wide and long beach at Pendine. The order to assume crash positions was given and a good belly landing took place with minimal damage to the aircraft, time, 17:00hrs.
The following is the statement from the aircraft Captain.
“Approximate position from St Mawgan was about 50 miles out to sea. Was flying on top and had no contact with the ground. Got the weather report at first. Weather was okay. One half hour later the ceiling was zero and they asked how my fuel supply was. I told them I had about an hour and a half left so I was diverted to RAF Valley but was given no heading. Got on the radio compass and tried to get a homing into Valley. Tried to contact ‘Darkie & Valley’. At the time we were calling Valley they were working on another plane in distress, so we decided to call St Mawgan. Our navigator was trying to compute our position. We found another hole in the cloud and then saw land and another ship. They were working a distress signal at the time, and we could cut in on them so decided to follow them and get to a field. The clouds however moved in, and we lost sight of the other aircraft. Spotted a field and tried to contact. Had IFF on emergency, tried A, B, C, & D channels of the V.H.F. and 6440 & while the radio operator worked out an S.O.S. The particular position I was in, I had a radius of about 5 miles due to the storm. In a further attempt to get sight of the field, the weather became worse. I spotted a beach, which turned out to be near Pendine in West Wales. I wasted no time in conducting a belly landing. No injury to my crew, extent of damage to the aircraft in my estimate at the time was the props were bent, and damage to the underside of the fuselage, with no wrinkles in the skin at this time. My co-pilot and I left the ship to get help, while the crew collected all classified and confidential material. RAF authorities took over the situation and put the aircraft on her wheels and took it further inshore so the tide couldn’t get at her. When I landed, the tide was in. The RAF took all the equipment to RAF Pembrey field. The weather at the time of the accident was very bad, ceiling was less than 50 feet, and low supply of fuel. Started out with 10 hours of fuel, and we had been the air for nine hours. We were also flying before the crash landing.
A certified True Copy. /s/ George A. Seipp
/t/ George A. Seipp
James W. Pocketts 2nd Lt, AC.
James D. Rockets”
42-96277 was repaired and put back into the air with the 322BG of the 9th Air Force. She was involved with 452 Sqn’ on op’s over Normandy. She was given a new nickname, ‘Neys Annihilators’. The Group and Squadron move lock stock to A-61 landing ground at Beavus/tile in France her pilot now was one, Lt Otis Cox. On the 16th of June 1944 she crashed near the field. Sadly this time she had to be written off.
Crew:
2Lt George A. Seipp O-687347 USAAF. Pilot. Safe.
2Lt James R. Render O-816694 USAAF. 2nd Pilot. Safe.
2Lt Jason Richardson Arter Jr. O-746784 USAAF. Nav’/A-Bdr. Safe.
S/Sgt Walter Taylor ‘Walt’ Vaughn 34382205 USAAF. Engr. Safe.
S/Sgt Robert F. Davis 33454442 USAAF. Rear/Gnr. Safe.
Wreckage:
Nothing remains (However, as the work to repair her took place above the high tide mark, who knows, something might remain from the work, such as a tool or even coins. As found in the B24 crash in Gower.)
Memorials:
A stone memorial to the crews who flew from Great Saling stands at the end of the main runway.
Additional Information:
322nd Bombardment Group.
On the 6th of June 1944 the group was used to attack German gun batteries and coastal defences. During the fighting in Normandy German fuel and ammo dumps and transport links were the main targets. The group took part in the fighting at Caen and in the breakthrough at St Lo in July 1944. In August and September, it supported the US Third Army during the advance across France. In October-December 1944 it took part in the campaign against the Siegfried Line, the German western defences, while in December 1944 and January 1945 it attacked rail bridges to isolate the Germans taking part in the Ardennes offensive. During 1945 the group focused on communications, transport and fuel targets. Its last mission came on 24 April 1945. The group moved to Germany in June 1945. Here they were engaged in inventorying and disassembling German Air Force equipment and facilities. Returned to the USA during November and December 1945. Inactivated on the 15th of December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
Pendine Sands.
The first person to use Pendine Sands for a world land speed record attempt was Malcolm Campbell. On the 25th of September 1924 he set a world land speed record of 146.16 mph on Pendine Sands in his 350HP car Blue Bird.
On the 3rd of March 1927, Parry-Thomas attempted to beat Campbell's record. On his final run while travelling at about 170 mph the car crashed. There is an untrue urban myth that the exposed drive chain broke and partially decapitated him; Babs went out of control and rolled over. Parry-Thomas was the first driver to be killed in a world land speed record attempt. Parry-Thomas's car was buried in the sand dunes near the village of Pendine after his accident.
In 1933, Amy Johnson and her husband, Jim Mollison, took off from Pendine Sands in a De-Havilland Dragon Rapide, G-ACCV "Seafarer", to fly non-stop to New York. Their aircraft ran out of fuel and was forced to crash-land at Bridgeport, Connecticut, just short of New York; both were seriously injured in the crash.
2Lt Jason R. Arter Jr died on the 9th of July 2011, aged 90.
S/Sgt Walter T. Vaughn died on the 27th of November 2006, aged 89.
S/Sgt Robert F. Davis died on the 20th of March 1995, aged 71.
The flying emblems for the 452nd and many others, was drawn for the group by non-other than the great Walt Disney Studios”.
Sources:
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Apr1944O.htm
www.asisbiz.com
www.usmilitaria forum.com
www.colfein.gov.uk
www.history of war.org
www.findagrave.com
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Oct-2012 13:25 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport] |
| 14-Feb-2021 12:35 | Chrisj | Updated [Date, Location, Country, Destination airport, Source] |
| 30-Mar-2024 06:23 | Davies 62 | Updated [Time, Total occupants, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
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