ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280495
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| Date: | Saturday 22 August 1942 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Miles Master III |
| Owner/operator: | 5 GTS RAF |
| Registration: | DL339 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Location: | Builth Wells. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Shobdon |
Anniversary of air incidents of everything south of 52* 37’N and west of 3* 11’W (Wales).
Number: 201.
Date: 22nd August 1942.
Location: Builth Wells
Aircraft: Miles Master TII DL339.
Squadron: 5 GLS (GTS).
From: RAF Shobden (AKA RAF Pembridge).
Mission: Training.
Details:
Throughout its production life, thousands of aircraft and various variants of the Master were produced, the latter being largely influenced by engine availability. Numerous Masters were modified to enable their use as Glider Tows. Such aircraft would have the lower portion of their rudder cut away to allow fitting of a towing hook. Starting in 1942, Miles Masters were extensively used as tugs for the General Aircraft Hotspur gliders at various Glider Training Schools.
Between 1942 and 1945 RAF Shobdon was No.5 Glider Training School. It was there the glider pilots trained on the GAL Hotspur glider before moving on to the larger Airspeed Horsa. The café on the present airfield is called the Hotspur Café. Some 1345 glider pilots, 291 Instructors and 218 tug pilots were trained at Shobdon between 1942 and 1945.
The whole glider concept was predicated on the assumption that you were going to arrive on the battlefield in the middle of an air crash! And the pilots, if they survived the crash, then became fighting soldiers along with their passengers, usually outnumbered, outgunned, and attacking dug in positions.
After Arnhem there was such a shortage of trained Army glider pilots that the RAF were obliged to provide trained pilots to make up the shortfall.
They went on to make the Rhine crossing and numerous other air assaults against Axis military positions.
DL339 was built by Phillips & Powis initially as a trainer but converted to tow gliders with No. 5 GTS. These pupils who had passed through the hard Para’ training, then volunteered to become Glider Pilots. The first step was the RAF selection system, and all successful candidates were then sent to GPR depot at Tilshead in Wiltshire for six weeks. During this time, recruits were put through their paces with the knowledge, if they didn’t make the grade they would be returned to units. Those who passed out of Tilshead went to one of four elementary flying training schools. The course lasting twelve weeks would see them pass out the other end as fully qualified light aircraft pilots. From here the were then sent to 5 GTS at Shobdon. The gliders were flown by these qualified pilots, as were the towing aircraft. DL339 was being flown by one such pilot who had only recently arrived at the station and was becoming familiar with the Master. One of the routes frequently used by the school was from Shobdon and along the open valley to the west and over Builth Wells. But on this day the unknown pilot became shrouded in cloud at the directed height, it would seem that he could see that the cloud base was much lower, and he saw that he had the one chance to conduct a forced landing, he ended up in a large open field on the slightly higher ground north of Builth Wells. Nothing else is recorded and it appears that he was able to take off when the weather improved.
Crew:
Unknown.
Wreckage:
Nothing to identify where it came down.
Memorials:
The Glider Pilot Regiment has been woefully unrecognised in comparison to most other units, so the Herefordshire Aero Club members have erected a large memorial stone and plaque on the airfield near the old wartime hangar. It is dedicated to the servicemen and women who served there and the civilian support staff. Also, those who died whilst serving at Shobdon, mostly in accidents.
Description Per Image:
Sources:
Edward Doylrush
www.iwm.org.uk
www.paradata.org.uk
www.shobdonairfield.co.uk
www.rafcommands.com
www.rafweb.org
https://powysenc.weebly.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2022 15:07 | Davies 62 | Added |
| 19-Jul-2022 12:43 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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