ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 109462
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| Date: | Friday 10 March 1944 |
| Time: | 12:30 UTC |
| Type: |  Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder |
| Owner/operator: | 397th BGp /599th BSqn USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-96192 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Margam Sands (Morfa Beach), Port Talbot, South Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Marrakech, Morocco |
| RAF Stormy Down, South Wales |
The report compiled of the incident noted that the B-26-B-55 was assigned to the 397th Bomb Group, 599th Bomb Squadron, 9th Air Force command at Homestead AAF, Florida, and was a replacement aircraft, coded "6B-K".
The incident occurred at RAF Stormy Down, Port Talbot, South Wales on 10th March 1944 at 12:30Z. The pilot had some 550 flying hours, 150 on this model of aircraft. The aircraft had left from Marrakech at 02:57 hours. An hour and a half into the flight they attempted to pick up the radio homing beacon for RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall, and soon they began to suspect that the radio compass was not working correctly and started to send SOS to ground control stations. No replies were received (the aircraft’s CW call sign was DMOO and voice HEARTACHE OBOE).
The pilot was lost, unable to locate any airport despite flying a search pattern 15 miles along the coast, and eventually was critically low on fuel - only 20 gallons remaining. The pilot spotted Margam beach, came into the shoreline on a long glide, the crew all in braced ditching positions. The aircraft belly landed right at the edge of the water/beach (to avoid structures, probably anti-invasion defences) in some two feet of water. All the crewmen escaped without injury.
The props were bent and the bottom of the fuselage was somewhat damaged. The report contains images showing the dismantling of the aircraft, the tow trucks and the flatbed trailer used for taking the fuselage away.
Crew of B-26B 42-96192
Second Lieutenant Julius L Loy. (Pilot) No injuries
Second Lieutenant Robert E Lavey (Co-pilot) No injuries.
Second Lieutenant Richard B Halloran (Navigator) No injuries.
Sergeant Bob (N.M.I) Karup (Engineer). No injuries.
Staff Sergeant Hilary C Scensert.(Air Gunner) No injuries
The ORB for RAF Stormy Down records the incident as follows:
"On March 10th" [1944] "USAAF Maurader 42-96192 en route to St Mawgan from West Africa made a forced landing on Margam Beach. Off course, it ran out of fuel. The Duty Pilot informed Porthcawl ASR Marine Base and the duty boat was sent to the rescue. However the crew were quite safe having waded ashore"
Sources:
1. US Army Air Force Report of Aircraft Accident 44-02-12-503, RCAHMW Digital Collections
2. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.html
3. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
4. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Photos/igphoto/2000549041/
5. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/387th-bombardment-squadron-usaf.28770/#post-351362
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margam
7. http://www.ceninrenewables.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Cottrell-1993-Stormy-AirBase.pdf p 61
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Oct-2012 10:51 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Phase] |
| 24-May-2019 20:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-May-2019 20:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-May-2019 21:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-May-2019 21:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 04-Feb-2020 12:20 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 30-Jan-2021 21:39 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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