ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 15638
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| Date: | Wednesday 15 December 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Hawker Henley Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 595 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L3336 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | RAF Carew Cheriton. |
| RAF Pengam Moors |
595 Sqn RAF was formed under the command of Sqn Ldr K O Sayers at Aberporth on 1 December 1943 on the disbanding of 1608 and 1609 AAC Flights and 1621 Queen Bee Flight. The Squadron was split into three flights and provided target towing and co-operation to several anti-aircraft practice camps, schools and units in the area. During the first month of the unit’s existence they flew for 602 hours — a fine total bearing in mind the daylight hours available at this time of the year. But the first loss was also suffered.
On 15 December 1943 the Henley III L3336 crashed at Kilgetty, near Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Both crew members, Flt Lt Frank Sidney Davies (pilot) and F/O John Corry Robertson, were unfortunately killed and 5 days later were buried at Saundersfoot Pembrokeshire. They were flying an engine test flight when the Henley turned steeply to right while flying normally straight and level, and spun into the ground. The accident cart conclusions did not rule out the possibility of engine failure to explain the accident.
Details:
Manorbier had a more unusual start to its existence by initially serving as a mixed civilian/military airfield from 1933. The 8th Earl of Essex kept his aircraft there, while the RAF maintained it as a landing ground for landplane aircraft visiting the flying boat base of Pembroke Dock. This latter activity ended in August 1935, but Manorbier returned to flying in the spring of 1937 to assist with anti-aircraft co-operation duties. ‘Y’ Flight of No 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit soon became a long-term resident and operated de Havilland Queen Bees, a pilotless radio-controlled version of the famous Tiger Moth trainer which was used for anti-aircraft gunnery practice.Previously under the control of Aberporth, Manorbier gained self-accounting status in May 1942 as the Pilotless Aircraft Unit arrived from St. Athan to carry on this important work. ‘Y’ Flight disbanded shortly afterwards but this new unit remained at the airfield until ceasing on the 15th of March 1946. Manorbier passed to War Office ownership the following September and continues to be Army training land to this day, though there are hardly any remains left, and housing has encroached upon the western side of the grass landing area.
L3336 was one of 200 built by Gloster Aircraft company and delivered to the RAF between November 1938 and September 1940. It served with No.1 Armament Training at RAF Aldergrove & Sydenham (No.1 AACU). Then afterwards to No.1607 flight RAF.
‘A’ Flight operated from Aberporth, ‘B’ Flt from RAF Carew Cheriton and ‘C’ operated from Cardiff.
On the 15th of December 1943, Henley L3336 took off from Carew with a passenger from C flight. The details are quite vague coming from the squadron records held at Kew. But reading between the lines, it appears L3336 left Carew for a post scheduled engine maintenance flight, at the same time taking F/O Robertson to Cardiff, but on the way, and only minutes into the flight they crashed at Kilgetty, near Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Both crew members, Flt Lt Frank Sidney Davies (pilot) and F/O John Corry Robertson. were unfortunately killed and 5 days later, on the 20th, were buried at Saundersfoot Pembrokeshire.
The accident investigation found.
‘They were flying an engine test flight when the Henley turned steeply to the right while flying normally straight and level and spun into the ground killing the crew. This investigation conclusion did not rule out the possibility of engine failure.’
Crew:
F/Lt Frank Sidney Davies 37yo 79579 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Arthur George and Maud Davies. Husband of Alice Lilian Davies, of Woodford Bridge, Essex.
F/O John Corry Robertson 22yo 151588 RAFVR. Pass’. Killed. 2
Son of John and Elizabeth Marguerite Robertson. Husband of Margret Strickland Robertson, of Erith, Kent.
Burial:
1 St Issells Cemetery. Row R. Grave 10.
2 St Issells Cemetery. Row S. Grave 8.
Wreckage:
All removed at the time, unfortunately the farm is no longer active as a working farm and is now a private residence, the current owner has no knowledge of the crash.
Sources:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/39651-pembrokeshire-crash-victims/
http://www.rafaberporth.org.uk/page5.html
http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/projects/crashsites2012-13.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Henley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilgetty
http://www.maplandia.com/united-kingdom/wales/wales/pembrokeshire-sir-benfro/kilgetty/
www.abct.org.uk
www.rafcommands.com
www.discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Mar-2008 22:58 | JINX | Added |
| 30-Dec-2008 10:28 | Oriel Benfro | Updated |
| 17-May-2014 12:29 | Anon. | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Dec-2015 16:00 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2018 19:46 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 07-May-2023 21:49 | Nepa | Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |
| 10-Dec-2023 09:18 | Davies 62 | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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