Military Crash Sites in South Wales

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The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft.

It was affectionately known as the Maggie.

It was the only low-wing cantilever monoplane to ever be authorised to perform aerobatics.

The Magister was developed during the 1930s in response to Specification T.40/36, and had been deliberately based on Miles' civilian Hawk Major and Hawk Trainer aircraft.

The first prototype conducted the type's maiden flight on 20 March 1937. It quickly became praised for its handling qualities, increasing the safety and ease of pilot training, while also delivering comparable performance to contemporary monoplane frontline fighters of the era.

Having suitably impressed British officials, the Magister was promptly ordered and rapidly pushed into quantity production.

Entering service barely a year prior to the start of the Second World War, the Magister became a key training aircraft.

It was the first monoplane designed specifically as a trainer to be induced by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Amid the war, it was purchased in large numbers, not only for the RAF but also for the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and various overseas military operators.

It was an ideal introduction to the Spitfire and Hurricane for new pilots. Its sister design, the Miles Master, was an advanced trainer also designed and produced by Phillips & Powis at Woodley.

During the post-war years, surplus Magisters were exported in large numbers, often following a conversion to suit civilian uses.
 
Date: Not Recorded
Type: BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT MK I
Owner/operator: No. 125 Squadron RAF
Registration: T3940
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Minor
Location: Hunts Farm, Gower - United Kingdom
Phase: Landing
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Wales - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Wales - United Kingdom

Narrative:

Force landed with little damage, therefore unlikely to have any visible remains on site.
 
Date: 25th October 1941
Type: HAWKER HURRICANE Mk. IIB
Owner/operator: No. 79 Squadron RAF, Fighter Command
Registration: Z3466
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location: Fairwood Corner Farm- United Kingdom
Phase: Landing
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Wales - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Wales - United Kingdom

Narrative:

On 25th October 1941 Hurricane IIB Z3466 of 79 Squadron was in circuit at RAF Fairwood.

The aircrafts engine cut out at 700ft resulting in a crash landing at close to the North Gower Road.

A small depression in a field at Fairwood Corner Farm marks the crash site.

Pilot Sgt Willats died of injuries 2 days later at St Athan Hospital.

Crew:

Sergeant G A Willats. Pilot Killed Personal ID 798456 Buried Killay (St. Hilary of Poictiers) Churchyard, Grave 161
 
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No.79 Squadron began the Second War as a home-based Hurricane squadron.

After taking part in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain the squadron moved to the Far East, and operated over Burma until the end of the war.

No.79 was not one of the Hurricane squadrons that moved to France in 1939, but did move across to Mons-en-Chaussee on 10 May 1940 at the start of the German offensive in the west.

After only ten days the German advance forced the squadron to return to Britain.

No.79 Squadron took part in the opening stage of the Battle of Britain from Biggin Hill, before in July 1940 moving to Sealand (Wales) and then Acklington (Northumberland) for a rest.

This second move meant that the squadron was in the right place to intercept a major German raid across the North Sea from Norway on 15 August 1940 that ended with a major British victory.

Soon after this the squadron returned south to Biggin Hill, but by early September No.79 was the only squadron still to be based at the badly damaged Biggin Hill, and on 8 September the squadron moved to South Wales for a rest, and to block German aircraft heading up the Irish Sea to Liverpool.

The squadron remained in south Wales until 4 March 1942, when it sailed for India, arriving on 20 June.

For the next few months it flew defensive patrols, before in December going onto the offensive, flying offensive sweeps over Japanese occupied Burma.

No.79 Squadron continued to fly a mix of offensive sweeps, ground attack and bomber escort missions over Burma to the end of the war, retaining its Hurricanes until September 1944 when it converted to the Republic Thunderbolt.

The squadron disbanded on 30 December 1945.
 
Date: 9th April 1944
Type: HANDLEY PAGE HALIFAX Mk II
Owner/operator: No. 513 Squadron RAF, Bomber Command
Registration: W7927
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location: Upper Killay - United Kingdom
Phase: Landing
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Riccal near Selby in North Yorkshire - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Wales - United Kingdom

Narrative:

Handley Page Halifax Mk II 'Pink Lady' of No 513 Squadron crashed on approach to Fairwood Common just before midnight on 9th April 1944.

The aircraft, from RAF Riccal near Selby in North Yorkshire, tried to land at Fairwood after two of its outer engines had failed.

The Halifax came in too low and crashed on WAAF quarters at Upper Killay, injuring 16 WAAFS.

All of the aircrew survived uninjured.

Leading Aircraftwoman Dorothy Evans later died of her wounds.
 
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Date: 13-JAN-1958
Time: day
Type: English Electric Canberra B Mk 2
Owner/operator: 32 MU RAF St.Athan
Registration: WE117
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Llangennech, 3 miles ENE of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire - United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature: Test
Departure airport: RAF St. Athan, Glamorgan, Wales - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF St. Athan, Glamorgan, Wales - United Kingdom

Narrative:

EE Canberra B.2 WE117: Delivered 27/5/1952.

Sole operational service career was with 231 OCU RAF Bassingbourn.

Written off 13/1/1958: Engine failed on air test, dived into ground at Llangennech, 3 miles East North-East of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire.

The aircraft was on an air test flight after maintenance, but nothing was heard from the pilot after take off.

The Canberra was seen to fly over Garn Goch at about 500 feet, when the engine note faded.

The aircraft then made a slight turn to starboard, the starboard wing dropped, and then aircraft dived steeply into the ground.

The cause of the accident is thought to have been due to the aircraft stalling, and/or engine problems.

Crew:

Flight Lieutenant James Turnbull WALLACE AFC, RAF - killed on active service, buried at Llantwit Major Cemetery
 
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231 Operational Conversion Unit​


This formed at Coningsby from a nucleus provided by No 16 OTU on 15 March 1947 to train light bomber and PR crews on the Mosquito.

Disbanded on 4 December 1949.

It reformed at Bassingbourn in No 1 Group to train Canberra crews on 1 December 1951, absorbing No 237 OCU and No 204 AFS as 'D' Squadron on 29 February 1952.

'D' Squadron was disestablished on 26 June 1955 and 'C' (PR) Squadron was detached to Merryfield in April 1955, to Weston Zoyland on 26 June, then back to Merryfield on 1 October, where it remained until 23 October 1956 when it was redesignated No 237 OCU at Wyton but the PR training task reverted to No 231 OCU on 21 January 1958.

On 19 May 1969 it moved to Cottesmore, to Marham on 12 February 1976 then to Wyton in No 18 Group on 30 July 1982, remaining there until disbanding on 15 December 1990 when it was redesignated Canberra Standardisation Training Flight.

The CSTF was reverted to being No 231 OCU on 13 May 1991, again at Wyton but was disbanded on 23 April 1993.
 
Date: 27-JUN-1943
Time: day
Type: de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk II
Owner/operator: 307 (Lwowskich Puchaczy) Sqn RAF
Registration: DD644
C/n / msn: EW-Y
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: field near Pennard, Swansea, West Glamorgan, South Wales. - United Kingdom
Phase: Initial climb
Nature: Test
Departure airport: RAF Fairwood Common, West Glamorgan - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF Fairwood Common, West Glamorgan - United Kingdom

Narrative:

Mosquito DD644 ("EW-Y") Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed during test flight 27.6.1943 near Pennard, Swansea during test flight (engines) after major repair.

Aircraft was being tested after a 240 hours major inspection.

Two minutes after take off from Fairwood Common the starboard engine caught fire and the aircraft crashed in a field near Pennard near Swansea.

After Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, the pilot of this Mosquito, Roman Grzanka, was the second Allied pilot to fly with leg prosthesis (false leg).

Crew:

F/Lt (P.0191) Roman GRZANKA (pol. pilot) PAF - seriously injured, died the next day
F/Sgt (P.793495) Waclaw OYRZANOWSKI (pass. pol. mech.) PAF - seriously injured, died the next day

Wacław Oyrzanowski was posthumously awarded the Cross of Valour.
 
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No.307 'Lwowski' Squadron was a Polish manned night fighter squadron that was formed as a defensive unit but that ended the war as a night intruder squadron.

The squadron was formed in Lincolnshire on 5 September 1940 around a core of Polish aircrew.

It was initially equipped with Defiant night fighters, and posted to the Isle of Man, where it became operational on 8 December, providing defensive cover over the Irish Sea.

In January 1941 the squadron moved to Squires Gate, and provided defensive cover over Liverpool and the Mersey.

This was a short posting, and in March the squadron moved to the south-west. Beaufighters arrived in August 1941, and were used for a year and a half before being replaced with Mosquitoes in December 1942.

In May 1943 the squadron moved south, and began to fly night intruder missions over occupied France.

In November the squadron moved to Lincolnshire, but continued to fly intruder missions, using foreword bases to extend its range.

In January 1945 the squadron changed role again, this time to become a bomber support unit.

The squadron's Mosquitoes were used to intercept German night fighters attacking Bomber Command's aircraft.

This role continued to the end of the war.

The squadron was disbanded on 2 January 1947.
 
Date: 07-NOV-1943
Time: day
Type: Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIc (ASR)
Owner/operator: 276 Squadron Royal Air Force (276 Sqn RAF)
Registration: P8667
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Windmill Farm, Fairwood Common, South Wales. - United Kingdom
Phase: Take off
Nature: Military
Departure airport: RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, West Glamorgan - United Kingdom
Destination airport: RAF Harrowbeer, Yelverton, Devon - United Kingdom

Narrative:

Delivered to the RAF at 9MU Cosford 31-5-41.
Issued to 19 Squadron 26-6-41.
To 313 Squadron 1-10-41.
To 417 Squadron 25-11-41.
To 61 OTU 17-3-42.
To GAL (General Aircraft Ltd) Hanworth for overhaul.
Returned to RAF at 33MU Lyneham, 22-11-42.
Converted to Spitfire ASR.IIc the aircraft being used for spotting downed aircrew at sea and for dropping dinghies to the downed airmen.
Issued to 276 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer, Devon 29-12-42 (as AQ-T)

Written off when engine failed take-off crashing into boggy ground close to the entrance of Windmill Farm, just off the NW-SE runway at RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, West Glamorgan, South Wales 7-11-43

Struck Off Charge 1-12-43; Total Flying Hours 334.25
 
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