Cofnod Safle

The remains of this aircraft are designated as a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. For further information on this Act and its administration with regard to aircraft, please contact the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1RZ.

Small pieces of wreckage lie amongst the rocks close to the summit.

Event and Historical Information:
This Wellington was assigned to 115 Squadron at RAF Marham. On 9 December 1940, nine Wellingtons had taken off at 1715hr tasked with a bombing raid on Bordeaux. The estimated time of arrival back at base was 0145. Severn had returned by 0205 hours. Two others had landed at Boscombe Down and at Brackley. A report from the direction finding station at Tangmere stated that T2520 call sign 'A' had made radio contact and reported that they were reducing height to conserve fuel. In bad weather during its return it became separated from its formation and lost. The crew believed they were over East Anglia and had begun the Wellington's slow descent to land. At 0312hrs, the aircraft flew into the rocky face of Cefn yr Ystad at around 600m and burst into flames. The crew were Pilot Officer A Tindall, pilot; Sgt A brown, RNZAF, air gunner; Sgt S Howard, wireless operator; Sgt D Mills, second pilot; Sgt H D Ellis, navigator, and Sgt D E Wallace, air gunner. They were killed instantly. Quarry workers arriving for work early recovered the bodies for the authorities.

Sources include:
Brecon Beacons National Park, 1995, Identification Guide Aircraft Crashes in the National Park, ID 15
Doylerush, E, 2008, Rocks in the Cloud: High Ground Aircraft Crashes in South Wales, pg25-6, 109
Durham P and Jones, D, 1982, Warplane Wrecks of South Wales and the Marches, pg13-14

WWW resources:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/SPVA/AviationArchaeology.htm

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, November 2007.