On the 17th October 1942 this aircraft crashed into a grassy slope on
the Carneddau mountain massif in Snowdonia North Wales.
Flying out of the 418 squadron base of RAF Bradwell Bay on a cross country training flight . They entered cloud an hour into the flight and navigated using their compass and radio bearings . Unfortunately they were off course and flying at 3000 feet smashed into the mountain . A few hundred feet higher and they would have cleared it.
Two of the crew died in the crash but one ,the pilot , survived with some major injuries.
Sgt. Mervyn Sims RCAF DFC Pilot
F/Lt. Harold Longworth RCAF Nav
Sgt. Ronald Walker A/G
Flying out of the 418 squadron base of RAF Bradwell Bay on a cross country training flight . They entered cloud an hour into the flight and navigated using their compass and radio bearings . Unfortunately they were off course and flying at 3000 feet smashed into the mountain . A few hundred feet higher and they would have cleared it.
Two of the crew died in the crash but one ,the pilot , survived with some major injuries.
Sgt. Mervyn Sims RCAF DFC Pilot
F/Lt. Harold Longworth RCAF Nav
Sgt. Ronald Walker A/G
Sgt Sims lay close to the aircraft under an improvised shelter of
wreckage for two days before being discovered. He sustained a broken
leg , fractured skull, broken spine and multiple other injuries ....he
also contracted gangrene whilst recovering .
Despite all these injuries he eventually made a full recovery and returned to his squadron where he went on to serve with distinction, completing a full tour, shooting down german aircraft and being awarded the DFC. A hero , who had a very fortunate break in hitting the flattest grassiest part of the Carneddau.
Despite all these injuries he eventually made a full recovery and returned to his squadron where he went on to serve with distinction, completing a full tour, shooting down german aircraft and being awarded the DFC. A hero , who had a very fortunate break in hitting the flattest grassiest part of the Carneddau.
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