ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 311519
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| Date: | Thursday 13 May 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | General Aviation Ltd Hotspur II |
| Owner/operator: | 5 GTS |
| Registration: | HH253 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Llanedw farm, nr Hundred House, Powys, Mid Wales. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Banner and glider towing |
| Departure airport: | RAF Shobdon |
| Return. |
Details:
RAF Shobdon started as a British Army camp. It acted as a reception point for casualties received from Southampton being distributed to local hospitals. With a depot railway station developed on the Leominster & Kington Railway, its first casualties arrived after the evacuation at Dunkirk. The camp was developed further by the US Army from 1943, to act as a distribution point for two locally developed general hospitals. They also added a runway in co-operation with the RAF, but due to the marshy land only one runway was developed. No.5 GTS (Glider Training School) arrived during July 1942.
The General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur was a military glider designed and built by the British company General Aircraft Ltd. When the British airborne establishment was formed in 1940 by order of Prime Minister Winston S Churchill, it was decided that gliders would be used to transport airborne troops into battle. General Aircraft Ltd were given a contract by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in June 1940 to design and produce an initial glider for use by the airborne establishment, which resulted in the Hotspur. Conceived as an "assault" glider which necessitated a compact design and no more than eight troops carried, tactical philosophy soon favoured larger numbers of troops being sent into battle aboard gliders. Due to this, the Hotspur was mainly relegated to training where it did excel, and it became the basic trainer for the glider schools that were formed. The Hotspur was named after Sir Henry Percy, a significant captain during the Anglo-Scottish wars who was also known as "Hotspur".
When Hotspur production ended in early 1943, a total of 1,015 gliders had been produced. The primary sub-contractor, Harris Lebus was responsible for 996, one of which was HH253.
She was being towed by a Miles Master from RAF Shobdon when the tow rope broke and flung back into a wing giving the pilot no option other than to force land. Luckily the valley here is quite wide with flat fields but with numerous Oak trees. He selected a suitable large field of Llanedw Farm. But just as he cleared the trees that stood lay at the head of this field a sudden thermal caused the glider to drop suddenly and hit the treetops causing it to slew sideways into the field, happily without serious injury to the 2 pilots. The glider, however, was damaged beyond repair. As for the Tow tug, it returned to Shobdon without any damage.
Crew:
Unknown.
Both pilots slightly injured but safe.
Wreckage:
All easily removed!
Memorials:
A new memorial has been created at Shobdon made of rough stone bearing black polished granite plaque, with the Army Air Corps, Station crest and the RAF Crest at the top and the legend:
“RAF SHOBDEN 1942-1945
DEDICATED TO THE SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF WHO SERVED AT RAF SHOBDON 1942-1945. DURING THAT TIME 1345 GLIDER PILOTS, 291 GLIDING INSTRUCTORS AND 218 TUG PILOTS WERE TRAINED AT SHOBDON.
THEIR COURAGE AND RESOLUTION WERE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL.
ALSO, TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES WHILST SERVING HERE.”
Additional Information:
Harris Lebus
During the First World War the company supplied the government with a large volume of war supplies. These ranged from ammunition boxes to aircraft frames.
After the war the firm's manufacturing policy was changed. It was decided to increase mechanisation to enable the production of high volumes of well-constructed furniture affordable to a wider range of people. This was hugely successful, and Harris Lebus became a household name and the largest furniture manufacturer in the world.
During the Second World War the firm produced the GAL Hotspur and the Airspeed Horsa gliders. The company also produced another famous aircraft, the De Havilland Mosquito multi role aircraft. The firm also undertook top-secret operations, such as building replica Sherman tanks out of wood during the lead up to the D-Day landings.
Sources:
www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com
www.iwm.org.uk
www.paradata.org.uk
www.arrse.co.uk
www.rafweb.org
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Apr-2023 16:43 | Davies 62 | Added |
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