ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 346165
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| Date: | Monday 11 October 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington GR mkXVI |
| Owner/operator: | 303 FTU RAF |
| Registration: | MP811 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Bier Hill Cottage (Unconfirmed) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | RAF Talbenny. |
| unknown |
Details:
Type 467 Wellington GR Mark XIV
Maritime version of B Mark X with a chin radome housing the ASV Mark III radar and RP-3 explosive rocket rails under the wings. 841 built at Weybridge, Broughton in Flintshire and Blackpool. It was at Weybridge that MP811 was built on the 10th of August 1943. She was accepted into the RAF at No.5 MU at Rednal on the 11th, She went to 18 MU on the 14th of August for fitting with radar equipment then on to 8 MU for fitting of the Leigh Light on the 31st.
No. 303 Ferry Training Unit (FTU) RAF moved to RAF Talbenny on the 5th of March 1943, relocating from RAF Stornoway. Its main function was to prepare aircraft for overseas ferrying. The unit's primary role was aircraft preparation and aircrew training for overseas deployment flights. Later, the Vickers Warwick and Lockheed Ventura aircraft were introduced. On the 8th of September 1944 the unit disbanded, forming No.11 Ferry Unit RAF at Talbenny. No. 303 FTU briefly operated out of RAF Dale, while a Drem Lighting System, to aid a visual approach, was being installed at RAF Talbenny.
Flight Sergeant Best and Sergeant Whitlock took off in MP811 on a delivery flight to its Coastal Command squadron. It is not known why they were flying so low as to hit a cottage two miles from Manorbier. (To be confirmed, but along the high ground to the North of Manorbier there is a cottage called Bier Hill and it lies exactly two miles from Manorbier just below a feature called ‘Ridgeway’. Coincidence? But it is with an educated guess I’m putting this spot to be where MP811 crashed. Ive also looked on maps covering this area and time period Bier Hill is found and has open fields around. Hopefully over time the true location maybe found.)
Crew:
F/S Ronald Frederick Best 22yo 1330319 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Ernest Rowland and Mary Jane Best of Cheriton, Folkstone.
Sgt Reginald Leonard Whitlock 22yo 1316742 RAFVR. W/Op. Killed. 2
Son of Frederick Albert and Mabel Whitlock of Shirley, Southampton.
Buried:
1 Charing (Kent County) Crematorium.
2 Haverfordwest (City Road) Cemetery. Cons. Row 1. Grave 5.
Wreckage:
Unknown.
Memorials:
CWGC Headstones.
Talbenny Church (St Mary) houses a framed memorial tablet to all the crews who were stationed at RAF Talbenny and who lost their lives.
Sources:
www.rafcommands.com
www.lancasterinfo.ipage.com
www.ww1.wales/pembrokeshire-memorials/raftalbenny-war-memorial.com
www.cwgc.org
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Oct-2023 06:30 | Davies 62 | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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