This is continuation of my first report which can be seen here.
As one of the United Kingdom's main mountain ranges, and as one of the airforce's major training centres, the Brecon Beacons has had many aircraft crashes over the years.
Stumbling across a plane wreck by chance in March gave me the idea to seek out the whole lot. Most are off any sort of footpath and require good use of a compass and navigation skills.
All the sites are designated a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, and it is an offence to remove items.
Unlike my first report, a couple of these are outside the National Park boundary hence why I have amended the report title a bit.
There are more plane wrecks in the Brecon Beacons than that featured in my two reports, but I’m not doing anymore for now. I have clocked up 9 days in the hills so far on this project and my legs need the rest. For the record the Peak District Air Crashes dot co uk website (which covers the whole country not just the Peak District) has so far recorded over 520+ of these crash sites nationwide! And some of these planes do not appear on that website, which makes me think that’s there’s much more than 520 in the country.
12. SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE Mk I R7057 , GLYNNEATH
Assigned to 53 Operational Training Unit RAF Llandow. While on exercise it flew into Mynydd Pen-y-Cae, south of Cwmgrach, near Glynneath in low cloud on the 12th August 1941. Pilot C J Day was killed. The impact site for this aircraft is rather small. Its close proximity to an active forestry track may explain this. Closer examination of the track showed numerous small fragments of melted alloy, spreading approximately 10m either side of the impact site. Small piles of wreckage had been collected and a shrine type structure constructed from stones is present.
13. DE HAVILLAND HORNET PX273, HIRWAUN
On the 30th September 1946, this Hornet has taken off from Fairwood Common to West Raynham. The pilot was Wing Commander Peter Bond. The aircraft crashed on Mynydd-y-glog at around 380m. A few small pieces and the obvious impact crater remain.
The Hornet is said to be the fastest propeller-driven plane
The impact crater
14. MILES MASTER MK.III W8773, PEN CARREG DAN
A double crash site of two Miles Master planes. During a formation cross-country training flight on the 4th October 1942 from RAF Tern Hill in Shropshire, the two Miles Master aircraft became lost and descended through cloud to obtain a visual fix. They both flew into the mountainside. W8873 was leading and on hitting the slope caught fire with the loss of both crew. DL570 was forced to land on flat boggy ground by a river and overturned, it’s crew of two being relatively unharmed. DL570 was recovered intact.
15. MILES MARTINET T.T. MK.I HN888, GREAT RHOS
The aircraft is an adaptation of the Miles Master plane. It has a protrusion sticking out of it used for target towing. This one was flying from RAF Aberporth in Credigion to Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands on the 21st December 1945. In poor visibility, it flew into the steep slope at the head of Cwm Bwch. The Mercury engine is today partially buried further down the slope in a stream. The engine from the aircraft lay close to the crash site until 1994 when it is reported that an attempt to recover it was made by No.2478 Sqn ATC from Abergavenny. It is said that having man-handled the engine out of the deep gully with the help of ropes a decision was made to re-rig the ropes before the long drag to a waiting Land Rover in the pastures further down the hill. While re-rigging the ropes the engine began moving and those present were powerless to stop it was rolling back into the gully and travelling a few hundred feet down the hill to where it is today.
It lies in this steep gully, about 250 vertical metres from top to bottom
One exhausting climb later. Nothing can be seen at the crash site at the top apart from a small scar.
Heading down the gully we start to see bits of wreckage, this was the top-most piece
Working my way down the gully
Some 200 vertical metres below the crash site, we see the Mercury engine
Still heading down the gully…
Almost at the bottom was the engine’s cowling
The lowest piece of wreckage found
As one of the United Kingdom's main mountain ranges, and as one of the airforce's major training centres, the Brecon Beacons has had many aircraft crashes over the years.
Stumbling across a plane wreck by chance in March gave me the idea to seek out the whole lot. Most are off any sort of footpath and require good use of a compass and navigation skills.
All the sites are designated a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, and it is an offence to remove items.
Unlike my first report, a couple of these are outside the National Park boundary hence why I have amended the report title a bit.
There are more plane wrecks in the Brecon Beacons than that featured in my two reports, but I’m not doing anymore for now. I have clocked up 9 days in the hills so far on this project and my legs need the rest. For the record the Peak District Air Crashes dot co uk website (which covers the whole country not just the Peak District) has so far recorded over 520+ of these crash sites nationwide! And some of these planes do not appear on that website, which makes me think that’s there’s much more than 520 in the country.
12. SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE Mk I R7057 , GLYNNEATH
Assigned to 53 Operational Training Unit RAF Llandow. While on exercise it flew into Mynydd Pen-y-Cae, south of Cwmgrach, near Glynneath in low cloud on the 12th August 1941. Pilot C J Day was killed. The impact site for this aircraft is rather small. Its close proximity to an active forestry track may explain this. Closer examination of the track showed numerous small fragments of melted alloy, spreading approximately 10m either side of the impact site. Small piles of wreckage had been collected and a shrine type structure constructed from stones is present.
13. DE HAVILLAND HORNET PX273, HIRWAUN
On the 30th September 1946, this Hornet has taken off from Fairwood Common to West Raynham. The pilot was Wing Commander Peter Bond. The aircraft crashed on Mynydd-y-glog at around 380m. A few small pieces and the obvious impact crater remain.
The Hornet is said to be the fastest propeller-driven plane
The impact crater
14. MILES MASTER MK.III W8773, PEN CARREG DAN
A double crash site of two Miles Master planes. During a formation cross-country training flight on the 4th October 1942 from RAF Tern Hill in Shropshire, the two Miles Master aircraft became lost and descended through cloud to obtain a visual fix. They both flew into the mountainside. W8873 was leading and on hitting the slope caught fire with the loss of both crew. DL570 was forced to land on flat boggy ground by a river and overturned, it’s crew of two being relatively unharmed. DL570 was recovered intact.
15. MILES MARTINET T.T. MK.I HN888, GREAT RHOS
The aircraft is an adaptation of the Miles Master plane. It has a protrusion sticking out of it used for target towing. This one was flying from RAF Aberporth in Credigion to Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands on the 21st December 1945. In poor visibility, it flew into the steep slope at the head of Cwm Bwch. The Mercury engine is today partially buried further down the slope in a stream. The engine from the aircraft lay close to the crash site until 1994 when it is reported that an attempt to recover it was made by No.2478 Sqn ATC from Abergavenny. It is said that having man-handled the engine out of the deep gully with the help of ropes a decision was made to re-rig the ropes before the long drag to a waiting Land Rover in the pastures further down the hill. While re-rigging the ropes the engine began moving and those present were powerless to stop it was rolling back into the gully and travelling a few hundred feet down the hill to where it is today.
It lies in this steep gully, about 250 vertical metres from top to bottom
One exhausting climb later. Nothing can be seen at the crash site at the top apart from a small scar.
Heading down the gully we start to see bits of wreckage, this was the top-most piece
Working my way down the gully
Some 200 vertical metres below the crash site, we see the Mercury engine
Still heading down the gully…
Almost at the bottom was the engine’s cowling
The lowest piece of wreckage found
