ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 276388
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 April 1942 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk Ic |
| Owner/operator: | 23 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | R1597 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Troed-y-Rhiw Farm. Brecknokshire. Powys -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Pershore, Worcestershire |
Details:
This aircraft after completion went to 218 (Gold Coast) squadron RAF. The squadron was first formed at Dover on 24 April 1918, going into action a month later in France. The unit flew Airco DH.9s in daylight bombing raids, and during its 5 months of wartime service, it dropped 94 tons of bombs over enemy targets in France and Belgium, flying a total of 117 sorties. In 1919, the unit was disbanded, having claimed 37 enemy aircraft during the war.
Prior to World War II, the unit was reformed on 16 March 1936 from elements of 57 Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford with the Hawker Hind and reequipped with the Fairey Battle in 1938. On 2 September 1939, the unit moved back to France, where it began dropping leaflets and flying reconnaissance missions. However, by June 1940, having suffered heavy losses while bombing advancing German troops, the unit was evacuated to England, where it re-equipped with the Bristol Blenheim. In November, it rearmed with Vickers Wellingtons, and began bombing a wide variety of enemy targets with the new longer-range planes.
On the night of the 23rd/24th of April 1941 R1597 (HA-H) was involved in bombing raids over the enemy docks at Brest in Northern France. The targets were the pocket battleships, Scharnhorst Gneisanau and Prinz Eugen. The crew dropped seven 500lbs but saw no hits. The flak was quite intense which caused R1597 to crash land in a field at Trevigo, 1 and a half miles of St Minver Church. The Wellington was only slightly damaged and all the crew bar one was uninjured. R1597 was successfully recovered and sent off for repair to 48 MU.
After repair she was sent to 23 OTU on the 18th of March 1941 at RAF Pershore.
On the 8th of April 1942 she was on a cross country flight, at 14:35 hours, a standard radio ‘sit rep’ was received and all was well. At the time, a violent storm developed over mid Wales and the selected route back to Pershore. All contact was lost and they were declared as missing when their time of arrival passed. The alarm was raised for the missing crew.
A farmer from Troed-y-Rhiw farm on the lowlands below the Epnant Ridge saw a large fire on the hillside above after hearing what he thought was a clap of thunder. He rushed up to the site but could see straight away that any help was fruitless.
The recovery crews arrived the following day and started the gruesome recovery of the six aircrew and the remains of the totally wrecked Wellington was taken off the ground over the following few weeks, she was SoC on the 29th of April 1942.
During the following investigation found that the cause was not determined, but it was deemed that the Wellington hadf entered heavy Cumulo-nimbus cloud and possibly been struck by lighting which caused a temporary scenario where the aircraft was unflyable and simply crashed headlong into the high ground and exploded.
The Wellington had crashed with such ferocity the farmer, seeing the human remains scattered all over that area of the mountain, still upset him until the day he died, and he avoided the area completely.
Crew:
Sgt Jack Mathew Kennedy R/68661 RCAF. Pilot. Killed.
Sgt William McLafter Lomax 1076998 RAFVR. Obs/Nav’. Killed.
Sgt Desmond Walter Dowling 1311793 RAFVR. A/Gnr’. Killed.
Sgt Neville Griffin 905561 RAFVR. Bdr’. Killed.
Sgt William Haylett Lacey 1263271 RAFVR. W/Op. Killed.
Sgt Frederick Thomas Ellingham 1262787 RAFVR. A/Gnr’. Killed.
Sources:
rafdavidstownmoor.com
cwgc.gov
aircrewremmembered.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Mar-2022 13:40 | Davies 62 | Added |
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