ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 318373
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| Date: | Monday 17 May 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bristol Beaufighter MkXIc |
| Owner/operator: | 304 Ferry Training Unit. |
| Registration: | JM244 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Ferndale. Rhondda valleys. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Port Ellen |
| unknown |
Mission: Transit.
Details:
RAF Port Ellen was located on the island of Islay in Argyll and Bute off the west coast of Scotland and was opened in 1940 with the RAF Coastal Command operating from here from August to October 1940 flying the Lockheed Hudson. Fleet Air Arm Martlets also used the station from October to December 1943. From the end of 1942 to the end of the war, the station was home to 304 ferry training unit from December 1942 to January 1944.
The Beaufighter, was a two-seat heavy fighter aircraft. Powered by two Hercules XVII engines. The Hercules Mk.XVII, developed 1,735 hp at 500 ft. This engine was installed in the Mk.VIC airframe to produce the TF Mk.X (torpedo fighter), commonly known as the "Torbeau. The last major version, of 2,231 built, was the Mk.X. The later production models featured a dorsal fin. The mark ten became the main production mark of the Beaufighter. The strike variant of the Torbeau was called the Mk.XIC which did’nt have the Torpedo carrying gear fitted.
JM244 was the middle of 25 aircraft (JM226-JM250) of the last batch of the MkXIc spec’, at the Bristol Aeroplane Co shadow factory at Western Super Mare. 546 aircraft were ordered and delivered between October 1942 and May 1943. The total mark of Beau’ were.
218 MkVIc, 50 MkVIc (ITF). 114 MkX & 164 MkXIc.
304 Ferry Training Unit, based at Port Ellen and Melton Mowbray; later became 12 Ferry Unit. JM244 took off from Port Ellen and was crewed by two Welshmen who coincidently came from the same corner of Wales with only the Maerdy mountain between their hometowns of Hirwaun and Maerdy. Their destination remains unclear, but it appears to have been RAF St Athan for fitting of equipment prior to JM244 being allocated its squadron. Not to miss the opportunity of a fly past of their homes, an unofficial visit and ‘Buzz’ was first conducted over Hirwaun then over the Maerdy Mountain and into the Eastern end of the Rhondda valleys and towards Ferndale. What happened then is yet not known, but the Beaufighter crashed into the ground at Highfield in Ferndale, bursting into flames, killing the two local men.
Crew:
F/Sgt David John Underwood 20yo 1260064 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Albert Edward & Ethel E. M. Underwood of Maerdy.
Sgt Morgan Edwards 28yo 1072140 RAFVR. Obs’. Killed. 2
Son of David & Anne Edwards of 3 Railway View, Hirwaun.
Buried:
1 Ferndale cemetery. Plot E. Grave 868.
2 Aberdare (Bryn-Y-Gaer) cemetery. Plot G. Uncons. Grave 10.
Wreckage:
Exact crash site remains unknown.
Memorials:
CWGC Headstones.
Sgt Edwards is recorded on the War Memorial at Hirwaun.
Additional Information:
Sgt Edwards was born on the 5th of August 1914. He trained as a teacher before the war. He enlisted with the RAF before his call up papers arrived. After he completed his basic training as a Navigator, he was posted to 304 FTU. Here he continued ‘specialist training’ with the view to be posted to the RAF Coastal Command.
Sources:
www.britishaviation-ptp.com/b/bristol_type156.html
www.rafcommands.com
www.cwgc.org
https://air-britain.com
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jul-2023 18:09 | Davies 62 | Added |
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