ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 279589
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| Date: | Sunday 19 July 1942 |
| Time: | 02:35 |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk 1c |
| Owner/operator: | 27 OTU |
| Registration: | N2749 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Lichfield |
| Return. |
Details:
Royal Air Force Station Lichfield also known as Fradley Aerodrome, was an operational training station from 1940 until 1958. Almost the residential unit based there, 27 OTU (Operational Training Unit) was formed on 23 April 1941 its role was to form and train aircrew for front line bombing operations using the Wellington. The crews, largely from Australia and other Commonwealth countries, along with the majority of other OTU’s, it was disbanded at the wars end in 1945. 27 OTU had its fair share of accidents, the following shows the rise and fall during the war and just how intense the demand for replacement crews was.
1941 9 Training Accidents, 6 Killed – 11 Injured.
1942 16 Training Accidents, 48 Killed – 32 Injured.
1943 28 Training Accidents, 67 Killed - 21 Injured.
1944 19 Training Accidents, 33 Killed - 13 Injured.
1945 3 Training Accidents, 0 Killed - 0 Injured.
The following is an extract from Fradley Heritage group:
“The following day, the 17th of July, the five members of the crew of Wellington 1c Z8980, were all injured whilst undertaking a cross-country night exercise. They came down on Burbage Moor, 8 miles SW of Sheffield and the Wellington caught fire. All sustained quite serious injuries and one crew member, Sgt J. H. Levett of the RAF was admitted to the Royal Hospital in Sheffield, with severe burns and a compound fracture to one of his legs.
Just two days later, disaster struck when two Wellington bombers and their crews were lost on the same day! Wellington 1c DV800 with a crew of five, took off for a day cross-country training. Whilst over North Wales, the crew strayed 10 miles N of their intended track. At around 12:30hrs, it is assumed that the pilot decided to fly below the cloud, to ascertain his position, in doing so, smashed into the Black Ladder Mountain near Carnedd Dafydd in Snowdoinia. All were killed.”
The other aircraft was N2749. One of a batch of 100 delivered to the RAF from Vickers of Chester between July and August 1940, she was assigned straight to 27 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield. She too was on a cross country navigation flight that took the crew into the morning of the 19th, the intended route was to fly north to Rhyl, out to the ‘Heal of Man (South point of the Isle of Man). Then southwest to St Davids Head on the Pembrokeshire coast, then a huge northerly bearing up to the Mull of Galloway, St Bees Head, Rhyl and home taking an estimated six hours. However just off St Davids Head they had an engine cut and stop. Dramatically losing height, a distress call was sent out at 02:34hrs the wireless operator started the IFF to send the SOS call which it would until switched off or!... It then appears they tried for one of the six RAF stations with RAF Withybush (Haverford West) being the closet. Sadly as they approached the fishing town of Milford Haven at a height that would take them over the 100 foot rise, the Wellington faltered and stalled, she was seen by dock hands, the Fire Watchers and the local Policeman to strike the old ice house chimney that rose to about forty feet and then crash into the dock building of the fish docks, the fuselage carried on and ended up with its nose section shattered and buried into the steep hillside. Silence descended on the scene. Then before anyone could approach to give any help, the wrecked Wellington exploded, killing all six of the crew. Above the site, is Hamilton Terrace a very busy part of Milford with the main street behind. The town of Milford escaped an event that could have been much more deadly that night.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Henry Charles Steinbach 29yo 404856 RAAF. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Henry Walter and Mercy Steinbach, husband of Daphne Alberta Steinbach, of Ipswich, Queensland.
Sgt Keith James Bradley 25yo 411117 RAAF. W/Op-A/Gnr. Killed. 2
Son of James Albert and Alice Maud Bradley, of Five Dock, New South Wales.
Sgt William Harry Condon 22yo 408131 RAAF. Obs/Nav’. Killed. 3
Son of James Benedict and Lillian Norris Condon, of Laverton, Victoria.
Sgt Maurice Cooke 20yo 1170027 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 4
Son of Frederick John and Marguerite Cooke, of New Bradwell, Buckinghamshire.
Sgt Edward Douglas Reginald Jennings 26yo 411145 RAAF. Obs/Nav’. Killed. 5
Son of Reginald Webb and Madeline Lucy Jennings, of Strathfield, New South Wales.
Sgt George Ernest Warburton 23yo 411206 RAAF. Obs/Nav’. Killed. 6
Son of Ernest Alfred and Elizabeth Lolet Warburton, of Turramurra, New South Wales.
Buried:
1 Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery. Section E. Grave 18.
2 Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery. Section C. Grave 21.
3 Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery. Section C. Grave 22.
4 New Bradwell Cemetery. Section 9. Grave 10.
5 Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery. Section E. Grave 17.
6 Pembroke Dock Military Cemetery. Section G. Grave 11.
Wreckage:
All the wreckage was easily removed just days after. The area until the early 90’s remained much the same. Now, everything has been developed with ‘Marina Apartments’ and stylish eateries!
Memorials:
CWGC Headstones.
Australian War Memorial, Australia.
Local Memorial overlooking the site at Hamilton Terrace. (The site of a memorial service on the anniversary of the crash and incorporated into the 11th of November ‘Remembrance Sunday’ services), the memorial is a recognised war memorial by the CWGC. The original 'Great War' CWGC War Memorial is just up the road!
Sources:
www.rafcommands.com
www.lostancestors.eu/memwar/milfordhaven.htm
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials
www.ww1.wales/pembrokeshire/milford-haven-wellington-n2749-war-memorial
www.nationalarchives.gov
www.cwgc.com
www.awm.gov.au
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jun-2022 11:53 | Davies 62 | Added |
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