Avro Lincoln RF511

 On the 15th of March 1950 whilst on a a night navigation this aircraft crashed into the  scree below the Black Ladders ridge, just above the source of the stream LLafar.
Witnesses saw the aircrafts navigation lights  flying through  cloud too low to clear the mountains , a short while later they saw a flash of flame followed by an explosion as the aircraft destructed on the rocks.
All the crew were killed in the crash .

Sq.L.John T. Shore MC AFC Pilot
F/Lt. Cyril A. LindseyNav
EngII Ronald A. Forsdyke DFC   F/E
SigIII Harold Henry CharmanR/O
GnrII Godfrey L. Cundy   A/G
GnrI Robert H, WoodA/G

The impact point is heavily scarred and evidence of burning is clear . The surrounding area is strewn with small pieces of wreckage . From the crash site and down the stream there are many larger pieces of wreckage including a wing spar that is 25 feet long .

The Avro Lincoln was a develpoment of the more famous Avro Lancaster . It began life as the Lancaster Mk IV but the differences were deemed great enough to require a completely different name .
The prototype first flew in 1944 but the aircraft production times resulted in the Lincoln never being used in WW2. 604 were built   in total. 4 still survive to this day.
It could fly higher and faster  than  a Lancaster , further than a Lancaster and carry a greater payload.

View down hill from impact point

Godfrey L Cundy AG

 A family member of Godfrey has sent me the following information.
''Godfrey Leo Cundy was the 3rd youngest of 4 brothers and 16 when WW2 started. Too young to join up and with 2 brothers Roy and David and his father serving in the Forces he entered a reserved occupation as a farm labourer. He had also been a fire watcher for a time in Liverpool. (His mother was an ambulance driver.) One evening 4 of his watch of 5 were killed outright, he was unscathed but that event left its mark on him mentally. Immediately after the war ended he joined the RAF. He spent part of his early service in Palestine during the troubles with Irgun Zvai Leumi, the Israeli patriots who fought for an independent Israeli state. At one stage in his service in the Near East he was official photographer for his unit. He was later stationed in Cyprus. At a time unknown he became a tail-gunner in bombers. His home station in England was Scampton in Lincolnshire.''
Thanks to Mick Cundy who himself served 23 years in the RAF in part inspired by his Uncle.