ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192742
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| Date: | Monday 11 January 1943 |
| Time: | 15:35 |
| Type: |  Bristol Beaufighter Mk VIF |
| Owner/operator: | 125 (Newfoundland) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | X8258 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Clyne Valley, near Swansea, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | RAF Fairwood Common, West Glamorgan, South Wales |
| Return. |
During the Second World War, local defence of the Swansea area required an aerodrome that could be used as an R.A.F. fighter station. The construction of the basic runway, which took the better part of a year, involved extensive levelling andownloadd filling of the boggy land at Fairwood Common, using copious industrial refuse. Unfortunately, two Bronze Age barrows were destroyed in the process, though a cinerary urn was retrieved from one of the barrows, known as ’Bishopston Burch’ (SS 5718 9098), and is currently owned by Swansea Museum.
The airbase finally opened on 15 June 1941. On 25 October 1941 Fairwood Common became a Sector Station. The first wartime success for 125 Sqn at Fairwood came on 27 June 1942, when a Beaufighter IIf shot down a Junkers Ju 88 off the Pembrokeshire coast. Then again in April 1942 the 125 Sqn successfully battled against the German ’Baedeker’ night raids upon Bath, bringing down an enemy aircraft and damaging another.
Beaufighter X8258: Took off for Night Flying Test. 11/01/1943
Aircraft stalled and crashed into Clyne Valley. The aircraft disintegrated and burst into flame on impact.
Killing both crew members.
Crew:
Sgt (798633) James Gladstone CRUMMEY (pilot) RAF - killed.
Sgt (1116265) Norman HURTS (nav.) RAFVR - killed.
One of the RAF squadrons that spent much of the war at Fairwood was 125 Sqn’. On the 25th of October 1941 Fairwood Common became a Sector Station. The first wartime success for 125 Sqn at Fairwood came on the 27th of June 1942, when a Beaufighter MkIIf shot down a Junkers Ju 88 off the Pembrokeshire coast. Then again in April 1942 when 125 Sqn successfully battled against the German ’Baedeker’ night raids upon Bath, bringing down an enemy aircraft and damaging another over Somerset.
Covered in the Beaufighter crash of the 1st of January (X7967), the squadron was conducting night flying practice again. The weather was favourable until 20:35hrs, it then deteriorated allowing flying only if an emergency. The wind picked up with gusts at 50mph from the Southeast. The visibility also reduced to 3,000 feet. The practice flying was conducted by F/O Jameson, P/O Newton, F/O McLachlan, F/Lt Drummond, F/O Stewart, F/Sgt Tilley and Sgt Crummey. At 16:10hrs word was received that a Beau’ has crashed neat Swansea.
One of the other Beau’ crew had seen the incident develop. This was F/Sgt Tilley, he saw his friend develop trouble with a cut engine and the aircraft stall, then plummet straight in nose first and exploding on impact with the ground killing his friend and his Navigator. Only a few days before, five friends of ‘B’ flight had their photograph taken with smiles all round. Such was the way of war, two weeks later they were carrying their friend in his coffin on the 14th of January. The funeral took place in the morning at Killay. Six sergeants of ‘B’ flight carried Sgt Crummey, they were F/Sgt’s Tilley, Reid, Gosse and Finn. The ceremony was taken by S/Ldr Harries (CoE Chaplin), a firing party of the Regiment were also in attendance along with the station band.
Earlier that month F/Sgt Finn had lost a brother (also a pilot) was shot down and killed on Op’s over Burma. The following day, the 15th, F/Sgt Finn and his Navigator, Sgt Stanger were conducting the same practice flying. At approximately 15:30hrs, Finn had contacted control that they had lost an engine and were in the vicinity of ‘The Smalls’ and were intending to bale out! Aircraft in the area were immediately tasked to the area, the Sea Rescue launches were called. Sgt John F Stanger was found dead he was only 20 and he had succumbed to the cold water. As for F/Sgt James J Finn RAFVR who was only 25 years of age, nothing was ever found. The searches carried on all that afternoon, throughout the night and the following day. He is commemorated at the Runneymede Memorial on panel 172.
Within three weeks the happy photograph of five friends from ‘B’ flight, two were dead. Not from enemy action, but an accident from a cut engine.
Crew:
Sgt James Gladstone Crummey 29yo 798633 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Enoch and Minnie Crummey of Western Bay, Newfoundland.
Sgt Norman Hurst 28yo 1116265 RAFVR. Radar Op/W/Op. Killed. 2
Son of James Duxbury Hurst and Clara Hurst of Little Hulton. Husband of Alberta Owen Hurst of Walkden.
Buried:
1 Killay (St Hilary) Churchyard. Grave 221.
2 Peel (St Paul) Churchyard. Grave 274.
Wreckage:
Majority of the wreckage was easily recovered at the time. It had come down near Ysgubor Uchaf farm near Sketty and the collery, close to the Clyne river. However what fragments remain have been covered by the old tip. The farmland has since been built on and the farmhouse now called Ynys Newydd.
Memorials:
Plaque inside the control tower at Fairwood to the crews that flew from there.
CWGC memorials and headstones.
Additional Information:
There is a bomb crater just off the track by Keeper’s Cottage where a local found a German fuse, but he discarded it, not knowing what it was at the time.
Sources:
1. Royal Air force Aircraft X1000 - X9999, Z1000 - Z9999
2. http://www.airports-worldwide.com/uk/uk_swansea.html
3. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?11971-11-Jan-1943-19430111
4.http://www.gat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
www.cwgc.gov.uk
www.nationalarchives.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jan-2017 10:10 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 28-Oct-2018 17:15 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 24-May-2019 20:31 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 28-Jan-2020 15:58 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 05-Nov-2021 18:18 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
| 05-Nov-2021 18:18 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Operator] |
| 21-Apr-2022 17:22 | Nepa | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
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