ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193355
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| Date: | Sunday 23 January 1944 |
| Time: | 14:40 |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 1667 HCU RAF |
| Registration: | DG358 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cwm Farm, Bryn-y-Groes, Bwlch-y-Fridd, Caersws, Montgomeryshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Faldingworth |
Halifax Mk.V DG358 "J": Written off (destroyed) 23/01/1944 when crashed on a cross country navigation exercise in poor weather conditions. Engine failure led to a mid-air break up in cloud. Aircraft came down at Cwm Farm, Bryn y Groes, Bwlch y Fridd, Caesws, Montgomeryshire. All nine crew killed:
F/Sgt P.K.E Bennett (1334810)
Sgt N.Fisher (1451885)
Sgt J.W Gibb (1821194)
F/Sgt J.S Spriggs (1449550)
Sgt A.A Clark (2210061)
Sgt E.R Gawler (1193341)
Sgt D.Ramsay (1684235)
Sgt W.G Wyatt (1893144)
Sgt W.H Wareham (1319125)
Accident occurred at 14.40 hours. The official accident report form (Air Ministry Form 1180) states: "Assumed lost control in storm with icing, lightning and engine trouble, followed by structural failure , during the inquiry it was also noted that the Starboard outer engine showed signs of failure, starboard wing failed upwards, starboard tail smashed, icing present.
AIB stated aircraft was flying at 20,000 feet, before crash hail storm at time, probably engine failure. Pilot descended into cloud which turned out to be storm clouds.
Details:
Faldingworth entered service life as Toft Grange decoy airfield and later as a satellite airfield of RAF Lindholme. Late in 1943 it became a satellite airfield for RAF Ludford Magna. After the war the base was used for storage of weapons.
In 1957 the site became a nuclear weapons store for the RAF's ‘V’ Bomber force. The Blue Danue and Blue Steel weapons were kept in the bunkers here, which can still be seen from the road and are evedent on Google Maps. With these weapons now in residence the airfield security was raised and saw the installation of watch towers, trip alarmed fencing, razor wire and double lines of high fencing with roaming dogs occupying the space. In times of crisis nuclear weapons from the site would be distributed to the nearby V-bomber airfields such as RAF Scampton, RAF Finningly and RAF Coningsby. With the transfer of the UK’s nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy’s Resolution class submarines, in 1968 the site was run down and finally deactivated in 1972.
DG358 took off for a high-level cross-country flight. Flying at 20,000ft, the flight was to take around eight hours and following a regular route across central England and mid Wales to the Irish Sea, then returning by the same route. It is thought, the pilot lost control of the aircraft after flying into a hailstorm. Around 1440hrs, the starboard outer engine failed then the aircraft lost height and entered heavy storm clouds. Icing built up and after short time the aircraft was failing out of control. The starboard wing failed and became detached colliding with the starboard tail section. The crew unable to leave the uncontrollable aircraft died as the aircraft struck the ground near Cwm Farm at Bryn-y-Groes, which is a mile SSW of Bwlch-y-FFridd.
The Form 1180 states;
“Halifax DG358. Accident occurred at 14:40hrs.
Assumed lost control in storm with icing, lightning and engine trouble, followed by structural failure. During the inquiry it was also noted that the Starboard engine (outer) showed signs of failure, Starboard wing failed upwards, Starboard tail smashed, icing present.
AIB stated.
Was flying at 20,000 feet before crash hail storm at time, probably engine failure, pilot descended into cloud which turned out to be storm.”
The young pilots faced a number of hazards during their training flights, such as the lack of power in the aircraft, which meant that they were unable to gain altitude quickly enough to avoid mountains or storm clouds; radio aids were limited and together with the blackout meant many pilots became lost and disoriented; altimeters were not accurate in mountain areas and the de-icing equipment was rudimentary.
Crew:
F/Sgt Paul Kenneth Ernest Bennett 20yo 1334810 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Kenneth Leslie and Kathleen Anne Bennett of Herne Bay.
Sgt Norman Fisher 1451885 RAFVR. Bdr. Killed. 2
Son of Harold and Jane Ellen Fisher of Cleckheaton.
Sgt John William Gibb 18yo 1821194 RAFVR. Flt/Engr. Killed. 3
Son of John William and Annie Taylor Gibb of Aberdeen.
F/Sgt John Stanley Spriggs 31yo 1449550 RAFVR. Nav’. Killed. 4
Son of Dr. Neville Ivens Spriggs and Emily Jane Spriggs of Leicester; husband of Eleanor Myfanwy Spriggs.
Sgt Ellis Robert Gawler 27yo 1193341 RAFVR. Flt/Engr. Killed. 5
Son of Harry and Caroline Alberta Gawler of Wimborne.
Sgt David Ramsay 21yo 1684235 RAFVR. Flt/Engr. Killed. 6
Son of Joseph and Mary Ramsay of Bentley, Doncaster.
Sgt William Henry Wareham 20yo 1319125 RAFVR. W/Op-A/Gnr. Killed. 7
Son of William Henry and Ellen Adelaide, Wareham of Chlmsford.
Sgt Albert Arthur Clark 22yo 2210061 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 8
Son of Albert Henry and Ellen Mary Clark of Little Hulton.
Sgt William George Wyatt 20yo 1893144 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 9
Son of William George and Florence Ethel Wyatt of Islington.
Buried:
1 Herne Bay Cemetery. Section Q. Grave 126.
2 Cleckheaton New Cemetery. Section C. Grave 992.
3 Aberdeen (Springbank) Cemetery. Section U. Grave 276.
4 Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Section A. Grave 543.
5 Canford Magna Church Cemetery. West end of cemetery.
6 Bentley-with-Arksey New Cemetery. Section G. Grave 133.
7 Chelmsford (Writtle Road) Cemetery. Grave 5730.
8 Salford (Weaste) Cemetery. Section J. Grave 3873
9 Abney Park Cemetery. Section N.7. Jt. Grv. RN.59756. Screen Wall. Panel 14.
Wreckage:
Memorials:
There are a number of memorials to the crew of this event, not including local memorials to each individual member of the crew within their hometowns.
However, the three main ones are.
A handwritten Roll of Honour with dedicatory inscription can be seen inside St Gwynogs Church, which contains the list of the crew. Also, on the sheet there is a line drawing of a Halifax bomber and an illustration of the tractor that carried them to their rest at Bwlch-y-Ffrdd on the evening of the accident.
A memorial is located at the entrance to the churchyard, also with the names and the date of the crash.
A large memorial to 1667 HCU and 300 squadron crews has been built at the head of the main runway at RAF Faldingworth.
Down in Aberhafesp
The Story of the Halifax Aircraft Crash at Glascoed Bwlch-y-ffridd, by Brian Poole
Published privately in 1998, 62 pages. Large A4 size booklet.
This booklet is illustrated throughout with lots of black and white photographs, maps and drawings, and tells the story of a Halifax bomber that crashed in Powys in Wales during the Second World War. It includes sections on the Halifax Aircraft, the fate of Halifax DG358, the recall of local people, the recall of RAF training by local ex RAF staff, the crash site and the recovery, the crew as remembered, Bomber Command success, and more.
Additional Information:
Some of the old airfield was turned over to farming but the maintenance and accommodation buildings now serve as industrial units. The businesses include Nonex Systems Ltd, which produce most things that go bang for the mining, quarrying and demolition industries.
TLS Fx produce other things that go bang for the movie and TV industries as well as other Pyrotechnics for the public such as paintball bomb etc.
The other building is home for Faldingworth Defence Ltd, they took over from the MOD testing and development at the site in 1998.
Sources:
1. https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?133305-Halifax-crash-Aberhafesp_
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?11229-Possible-air-crash-23-Jan-1944-Newtown-District-Montgomeryshire-Wales
3. http://www.faldingworthmemorials.co.uk/the-memorial/crews
4. https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/65780
5. http://www.chelmsfordwarmemorial.co.uk/second-world-war/chelmsford/ww2-wareham-william-henry-.html
www.cwgc.org
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.findagrave.com
https;//airbritain.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2017 07:30 | ORD | Added |
| 02-Mar-2017 00:51 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2018 08:35 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 10-Jan-2024 08:29 | Davies 62 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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