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Date: | Friday 21 March 1941 |
Time: | 23:58 |
Type: | Vickers Wellington Mk IC |
Owner/operator: | 150 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | R3288 |
MSN: | JN-B |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Moel Farlwyd, 2 miles North East of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Snowdonia -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Newton, Nottinghamshire (EGXN) |
Destination airport: | RAF Newton, Nottinghamshire (EGXN) |
Narrative:En-route, returning to base from a raid on Lorient, got lost in mountainous area and crashed into northern slopes of Moel Farlwyd when emerging from cloud. Rear turret broke free on impact. Rear gunner Peter Martlew survived. All others on board killed instantly. According to the following newspaper report ("Doncaster Free Press" 17 April 2014 (see link #4)):
"A slate block will soon be in place onto which four plaques will be attached in memory of those killed. The stone will be unveiled at a ceremony sometime in May and the group are now seeking contact with relatives to invite them to the service and hopefully to find photos of the young men.
The greatest loss of life occurred on the night of March 21 1941 when a Vickers Wellington MK1c serial number R3288 of 150 Squadron RAF was returning from a raid on Lorient in Brittany. Damaged and lost, the plane hit the upper slopes of Moel Farlwyd killing five of the six-man crew namely -
Flying Officer (Pilot) Charles Hamerton Elliot – aged 21 – of Bedford RAF 41159
Pilot Officer Roland Clive Parkhurst – aged 24 – of Andover RAFVR 45232 (NCO:580245 Commission Gazetted : Friday 21 February, 1941)
Observer/Navigator Sergeant Harold Beddall – aged 27 of Doncaster/Nottingham RAF 563055
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Sergeant Lewis John Kirk – aged 27 – of Reading RAFVR 755374
Air Gunner Sergeant John Killen – aged 20 – of Hartlepool RAFVR 751525
Air Gunner Sergeant Peter Martlew survived when the rear turret detached on impact"
Sources:
1. Local knowledge mostly. Edward Doylerush No Landing Place, More Tales of Aircraft Crashes in Snowdonia. (1999)
2.
https://www.backtonormandy.org/component/mtree/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/wellington/21423-R32881941-03-22.html 3.
http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/19.htm 4.
https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/search-for-heroes-relatives-1-6566283 5. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
27-Nov-2013 16:32 |
Cymro |
Added |
04-Apr-2014 00:02 |
angels one five |
Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Narrative] |
04-Apr-2014 00:04 |
angels one five |
Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
27-Apr-2015 19:12 |
ABBA |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator] |
01-Aug-2016 13:06 |
TB |
Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
05-Nov-2017 00:15 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
23-Dec-2017 16:42 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator] |
30-Oct-2018 08:23 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
21-Mar-2024 07:48 |
Rob Davis |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |