Date:	Wednesday 18 November 1942
Time:	11:35
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk II
Owner/operator:	286 Sqn RAF
Registration:	AA632
MSN:	899
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Talywendda Farm, Llansamlet, 3 miles SE of Swansea, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, West Glamorgan, South Wales
Destination airport:	RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, West Glamorgan, South Wales

Narrative:
No. 286 Squadron RAF was a non-operational Second World War Royal Air Force squadron that operated a variety of aircraft to provide targets for anti-aircraft gun practice in the west country of England & Wales. Based mainly at this time at RAF Filton, with detachments posted to nearby airfields. AA632/'NW-V' was part of the squadron detachment at RAF Fairwood Common. AA632, flown by Flt/Sgt Muirhead took off from Fairwood Common along with another Defiant, N3403 flown by Flt/Sgt K. V. Kelman. Their tasking that day was to conduct dummy dive-bombing attacks on the Light Anti-Aircraft positions of the 61st LAA Regiment Royal Artillery, that surrounded Swansea.

61st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery formed during World War II. Its component Territorial Army batteries, both from London, had already seen action in the Battle of France before the regiment was formed in 1940.

N3403 appears to have been detailed to focus on the western LAA positions, such as those at Mumbles, Townhill and Fforestfach. Muirhead had those at Jersey Marine (lower and the higher), Skewen and Llansamlet.

The following is an Excerpt from the squadron records:
“18-11-42 F/Sgt Muirhead (Fairwood Common Detachment), flying Defiant with an Army Sgt Wilde as passenger, crashed whilst making dummy attacks on a gun position situated at Lansamlet, near Swansea. Despite the fact that the aircraft was completely wrecked, F/Sgt Muirhead sustained only slight injuries, Sgt Wilde was dangerously injured. But is making fair recovery.”

(Sgt Wilde had in fact received severe head injuries that resulted with him convalescing in hospital for near two years. It appears he survived the war after being medically discharged). They had collided with the rising hill above the LAA position and 200-300 yards west of Talywendda Farm. The remains of the gun site can apparently still be found hidden within the thick undergrowth located below the farm.

Crew:
Flt/Sgt R Muirhead RCAF. Pilot. Slightly injured.
Sgt Ronald Wilde Royal Artillery. Passenger. Seriously injured.

Wreckage:
Some fragments may remain under the thick bramble at the site.

Additional Information:
Some LAA sites and Heavy AA sites can still be seen today.

1. Fallen Flyers: Tragedy in the Skies Over Wartime Gower (Wartime Record) Bryngold Books Ltd; First edition (1 May 2005) by Steven H. Jones
2. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
3. http://www.clynevalleycommunityproject.co.uk/world-war-ii/4559743795
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/19806: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17928419
5. 286 squadron ORB for November 1942: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1621/13: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8399434
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?7183&styleid=3
7. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_Wales_and_West_Midlands.pdf
8. https://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9194937/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._286_Squadron_RAF
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llansamlet

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2008 13:31	JINX	Added
19-Mar-2008 16:51	JINX	Updated
22-Apr-2015 20:35	King T.	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Apr-2019 23:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
07-Nov-2022 07:19	Davies 62	Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Narrative, Category]