ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 265885
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| Date: | Sunday 4 October 1942 |
| Time: | 15:20 |
| Type: | Miles Master Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 5 (P) AFU RAF |
| Registration: | W8773 & DL570 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Abergwesyn, Brecknockshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF High Ercall, Shropshire |
| RAF Ternhill, Shropshire (EGOE) |
Master W8773: Took off for Training flight in the formation /cross country exercise. 04/10/1942
Masters W8773 and DL570 was doing the navagating for both aircraft when both MASTERS simply flew into cloud covered hills when both aircraft decended they were unsure of their position W8773 hit the hill top (1700 feets) first bursting into flames and killing the two crew ,
Crew:
Instructor: 122431 P/O Jack Chinery RAFVR: killed
Pupil: R/129026 Sgt Thomas Frederick Hyndman RCAF: killed
Details:
The Aircraft.
On 31 March 1939, the first true production Master I conducted its maiden flight. The first production examples were being delivered during late July of that year. The Master had entered RAF service just prior to the start of WW2. Eventually, 900 Mk. I and Mk. IA Masters were constructed. This total included 26 built as the M.24 Master Fighter which were modified to a single seat configuration and armed with six .303 machine guns for use as an emergency fighter, however this model never saw any combat use. When production of the Kestrel engine ceased, a new variant of the Master was designed that used an air-cooled Bristol Mercury XX (20) radial engine. On the 30th of October 1939, the M.19 Master II prototype made its first flight. But with the demand for the Mercury engine for heavy fighters and medium bombers, the Mercury was in short supply. However, the Lend Lease programme provided a supply of engines from the U.S. to Britain, a third variant of the Master, designated M.27 Master III, was designed, which was powered by the American-built Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior, a two-row radial engine that could generate 825 hp. W8773 & DL570 were of 602 built at South Marston by Phillips and Powis Aircraft Limited fitted with this engine.
The Airfields.
RAF Ternhill. The airfield was first opened in 1916 and was initially operated by the Royal Flying Corps before being taken over by its successor the Royal Air Force on the 1st of April 1918. The land was sold off in 1922 for use as a racehorse stable. During the mid-1930’s and the gathering storm clouds of WW2, the land was again requisitioned, the airfield was re-built, and three Type-C hangers were erected on the main airfield.
RAF High Ercall. Was situated near the village of High Ercall, 7 miles northeast Shrewsbury, England. Construction of the airfield began in 1938 and was mostly complete by 1940. The airbase was initially run by RAF Maintenance Command and civilians from the Ministry of Aircraft Production also worked at the airfield. From 1941 onward the airbase was taken over by RAF Fighter Command and was used mainly by night fighter units covering the Midlands and the North-West. From 1942 the airfield was also used by the United States Army 8th Air Force 309 Fighter Squadron, which flew Spitfires in USAAF markings.
No.5 P.A.F.U.
The school was formed on 26 April 1920 at RAF Shotwick and redesignated No. 5 Service Flying Training School from 3 September 1939, part of No.23 Group. It used a variety of aircraft including the irspeed Oxford and DeHavilland Tiger Moth amongst others, the unit was formed to give pilots further training on single and multiple engine types something that the RAF didn’t have the time for during the intensive period of the Battle of Britain and the numbers of pilots lost due to inexperience and low hours, making them easy prey for the enemy. The basic training changed. The school was disbanded in April 1942 at RAF Ternhill by redesignation to No. 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit. Training of new crews included navigation and sometimes flying to another airfield to refuel and return.
The Crash.
DL 570 took off withW8773 from RAF High Ercall on a cross country formation exercise over Wales and returning to Tern Hill. Pilot Officer Chinery flying W8773 with his pupil Sergeant Hyndman was doing the navigating for both aircraft. When both aircraft encountered heavy cloud and were unable to avoid, they simply flew into the cloud which they knew would hide the hills below. As was the case they thought they were over another part of the route with low ground near the coast. Ahead lay cloud covered hills. To gain a fix of their position, both aircraft descended. W8773 hit the hilltop at 1700 feet ASL first, bursting into flames, cascading down the hillside and killing the two crew. DL570 narrowly missed the top which drops down by around 30-50 feet at this point and still in the shallow attitude, struck the boggy ground and flipped over, both crew members were unhurt. They were able to follow the valley down to Abergwesyn and raise the alarm. The recovery crews eventually arrived and were taken up to start the recovery operation.
Crew:
W8773.
P/O Jack Chinery 20yo 122431 RAFVR. Pilot (Instr). Killed. 1
Son of Donald and Hilda Mary Chinery of Great Crosby, Liverpool.
Sgt Thomas Frederick Hyndman 20yo R/129026 RCAF. Pilot (U/T). Killed. 2
Son of Harry Harland Hyndman & Jennie Pierson Hyndman of Oakville, Ontario Canada.
DL570.
Sgt H. B. Hubbard RAF. Pilot (Instr). Safe.
Sgt Robert Hardie Casburn 21yo (at time of crash) 162938 RAFVR. Pilot (U/T). Safe. Killed on ops’ 12th May 1945. 3
Son of Robert Edwin & Violet Hardie Casburn of San Francisco California, USA.
Buried:
1 Stoke-Upon-Tern (St Peter) Church Cemetery. Row I. Grave 280.
2 Felpham (St Mary) Churchyard. Grave 722.
3 Longside Cemetery Aberdeenshire. Grave 91.
Wreckage:
If you ever visit the site, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of the recovery crews. Starting at the village of Abergwesyn which makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. Walking through the same gateway’s and on the same aincient track to the spur that opens up into the Gwesyn valley proper! Here the track stops, leaving you to wonder why the track came to here? Then you realise, here the vehicles of the crews had to be left, the sites are still just over a mile away. This ground is undulating and boggy in parts but otherwise easy to traverse. Now the valley starts to close in, and before long small fragments come to light and getting larger in size the higher up the slope you go with a fair amount at the point of impact. A substantial amount of wreckage W8773 remains with many identifiable parts in four areas with smaller pieces between each group. Unusually paint still adornes the aluminium with the upper surfaces having the earth brown and dark green and the undersides have yellow. This indicates that the training scheme of yellow with black strips was not applied to these two aircraft.
The area where DL570 came to rest is extremely boggy and wet with deep tussock grass valleys. If any fragments that broke off, they are difficult to find, especially that DL570 had a soft landing and was taken away in sections down to the awaiting Queen Marys at Abergwesyn. The return down now has new meaning in just how the recovery crews leaving nothing behind of DL570 carried the now broken-down aircraft and the heavy engine the three miles down to the village. Fortunate that the ancient track has remained. Then at the halfway point you remember, of the four airmen, only two made the walk down!
Additional Information:
Pilot Officer Chinery received his commission which was announced in the London Gazette on the 30th of June 1942 and was posted to 5 APU as an instructor. This is an indication of how much the demand for frontline pilots had slowed down during this period of the war.
Sgt RH Casburn was an American serving with the RAF, promoted to Flying Officer and was posted to 122 squadron on the 13th of April at RAF Peterhead. The squadron had been operating the P-51 Mustang mkIII since the beginning of 1944 and had converted to the mkIV during January 1945. Sgt Casburn had limited hours on type and on the 12th of May was killed flying Mustang IV KH644, which despite having an unserviceable radio, was being flown on a general handling sortie. The aircraft was seen flying at 1,000 feet when it entered a vertical dive from which it did not recover four miles from the aerodrome near Aberdeen? The reason for the dive was never established, he was 24 years of age. The location of this crash is unknown.
Those of you might know that the war in Europe had ended on the 8th with VE Day announced on the 9th, Casburn died needlessly four days after piece had broken out!
Sources:
Personnel records of pilot.
Accident report (attached as pic)
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=W8773&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2723268
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.canadianfallenvirtualwarmemorial.ca
www.cwgc.com.uk
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jul-2021 15:30 | tachel | Added |
| 02-Oct-2022 07:43 | Davies 62 | Updated [Registration, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 03-May-2023 21:48 | Nepa | Updated [[Registration, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]] |
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