ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 269217
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| Date: | Monday 3 November 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire MkIa 'Flying Scotsman'. |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | X4913 |
| MSN: | 1376 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pen Y Fan -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| Return. |
This Spitfire was a ‘Presentation’ aircraft. Paid for by the L.N.E.R. (London North Eastern Railway) company and was one of three.
The others were X4914:
Which carried the name ‘Cock of the North’ and was the next Spitfire off the production line.
As the war progressed, the other was a Mk Vb Spitfire. BM202 (This one replaced the loss of X4913 and carried the Flying Scotsman name).
Both X4913 & 4914 were built at the Eastleigh works and were csn 1376 & 1377 respectively.
X4913 first flew on the 30tth of December 1940 and taken on with the RAF at 9MU on the 3rd of January 1941.
Her one and only posting was to 411 ‘City of York’ squadron. This squadron was formed on the 16th of June 1941, at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire. The squadron was to be assembled from scratch and this job fell to F/Lt Pitcher who was posted from 401 squadron to assume command with the rank of acting Squadron Leader. On the 18th of June and until the 21st the ground crews began to arrive, then on the 22nd the first Spitfires arrived and X4913 was amongst this delivery, by the end of the day there were 18 brand new Spit’s at the base. The pilots arrived the following day.
By the end of the month the new squadron Orbat was:
3 operational pilots with 14 still under training.
16 aircraft were operational.
Squadron staff was:
7 Officers, 1 Warrant Officer, 3 Flight Sergeants, 3 Sergeants, 4 Corporals and 73 Airmen.
A period of training and area recce’s was the order of the day. During July the newer mark 2 Spitfires began to arrive. On the 17th of July the squadron strength stood at 115 personnel.
The 22nd of July saw X4913, X4472 and R7159 transferred to 53 OTU. 411 squadron after more training began operations in August 1941 with the Spitfire VB variant.
X4913 flying began almost straight away and four months later, on the 3rd of November, took off on a cross country navigation exercise. She didn’t return! After three days, both the Spitfire and her pilot were listed as missing. They were to become the longest missing flight over land for the war and the length of time still stands!
On the 20th of July a shepherd was out on the Brecon Beacons in the vicinity of the three highest peaks, bringing in his sheep for their summer shearing. The end of winter during 1941 was a particularly harsh one and to venture out onto the mountains was not viable. Especially as the sheep, by nature had dropped down to the lower areas. The Spring drew them back up onto the peaks. The Beacons during the war years was a bleak desolate place and you’d be forgiven to believe you are the only person on the earth.
The Shepherd had just crested the old gap between the peak of Crybyn to the east and Pen y Fan to the west when something unusual caught his eye in the middle if the sheer north face of Pen y Fan. He approached the area and as he got closer, he could see it was the remains of an aircraft which was not there during the late Autumn months! He contacted the Police upon his return at the farm, a few hours later Police and RAF personnel had climbed the mountains only to find they couldn’t gain access to the wreck from above or from the side without ropes.
It was a few days later, after the rescue and recovery teams had brought the pilots remains down, along with some scant aircraft parts which had fallen into the valley below.
It was from components with the serial number stamped into the alloy along with his Identity Tags and watch, that they were then able finally identify who he was and the aircraft type and serial number. Only then did the authorities realise just how long this Spitfire had been missing!
It was determined that the pilot had become lost over high ground and just slammed into the north face of Pen y Fan which was totally covered in thick cloud. The Spitfire had exploded and burst into flames scattering wreckage over the face and down the cliff.
The engine. forward fuselage & cockpit area, along with the remains of the pilot had become stuck on the rocks just below the point of impact, almost a hundred feet down and wedged into the gulley below.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Colborne Gardner 23yo R/68668 RCAF. Pilot. Missing 9 months. Confirmed killed later.
Buried:
Hereford Cemetery. Plot A. (CofE) Grave 5639.
Wreckage:
Some remains high on the cliff face with some fragments fallen below.
SAFTEY DO NOT TRY TO GAIN ACCESS!
View from above. However, the remaining pieces now look like the surrounding rocks and are difficult to see.
Additional information:
X4914 ‘Cock of the North’ was also one of the 18 delivered to 411 squadron and it too then went on to training duties with 57 & 58 OTU. It was involved in an air collision with P7978, another Spitfire and crashed near Alloa in Scotland.
Memorials:
CWGC Headstone and Canadian Memorial, Toronto, Canada.
Sources:
Local Knowledge.
www.ystradgynlais-history.co.uk
www.cwgc.org
aircrewremembered.com
discovery.national-archives.gov.uk/browse/411squadronoperationsrecordbook
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Oct-2021 18:38 | Davies 62 | Added |
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