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Date: | Friday 23 February 1940 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Avro Anson Mk I |
Owner/operator: | S of AN RAF |
Registration: | N5086 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | near The Old Rectory, Rhossili Down, West Gower, Glamorgan -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF St. Athan, Glamorgan, South Wales |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Avro Anson Mk.1 N5086 of the School of Air Navigation, RAF: The aircraft flew into high ground in poor visibility on 23rd February 1940 during a navigation exercise at high ground above The Old Rectory, Rhossili Down, West Gower, Swansea, Glamorgan. All four crew were killed.
Crew of Anson N5086:
Flight Sergeant William Charles Parkes (Pilot) Service Number 562843, aged 27 - killed. Buried Stretton-Cum-Wetmoor (St. Mary) Churchyard, Staffordshire, South of church. Row 1. Grave 4.
Leading Aircraftman Andrew Roberts Sutcliffe. Service Number 746751, aged 26 - killed. Buried Brampton (St. Martin) Old Churchyard, Brampton, Cumberland Grave 90.
Leading Aircraftman Frederic Arthur Webster. Service Number 759344 - killed. Buried South Shoebury (St. Andrew) Churchyard, Shoebury, Essex, Coll. grave 614.
AC.2 William Ledsham, Service Number 630792 - killed. Buried Chester (Overleigh) Cemetery, Chester, Cheshire, New Portion, Grave 4325.
It is noteworthy that the official file on the accident (Air Ministry File AIR81/1842) at the National Archives is closed, and therefore unavailable to researchers until January 1st 2023 (=file closed for 83 years)
Sources:
1. Halley, J J, 1993, Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000 to N9999, p160.
2. Stuartivant, Ray, The Anson File, Air Britain, 1988
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1842
4.
http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf 5. Pieces of wreckage:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/489555421976251395/ 6.
http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.com/2009/02/ 7.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2713674/parkes,-william-charles/ 8.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2695523/sutcliffe,-andrew-roberts/ 9.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2427209/webster,-frederic-arthur/ 10.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2928280/ledsham,-william/ 11.
https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/401504/details/the-old-rectory-rhossili 12.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/the-old-rectory-wales Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
23-May-2019 23:45 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
23-May-2019 23:49 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
23-May-2019 23:49 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
30-May-2019 15:45 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator] |