Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Interview with the Vice-Chancellor
    • Country Highlight: The Netherlands
    • If You’re Moving Back Home After Uni …
    • Jane Austen in Lockdown: How her six novels are more relevant than ever
    • All About … Period Poverty
    • My Veggie Journey: How not being strictly Vegetarian is OK
    • Watch with Pride: Your Top TV Picks this Pride Month
    • Globe Trotting on Screen: Your Guide to Summer 2021
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Flickr
    Seren
    • News & Politics
      1. Local News
      2. UK News
      3. Uni News
      4. World News
      5. Politics
      6. Comment
      7. Business
      Featured

      SABB Election: The Full Result Breakdown

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      Interview with the Vice-Chancellor

      May 23, 2022

      Retro? Chip shortage may bring vintage tech to your car.

      May 6, 2021

      Manizha – the artist causing a stir as the Russian representative for Eurovision 2021:

      May 6, 2021
    • Arts & Culture
      1. Books
      2. Games
      3. Film
      4. Music
      5. TV
      6. Creative Corner
      Featured

      Bangor alumni podcast earns Hollywood cameo & BBC features

      By Amelia SmithMarch 7, 20210
      Recent

      Jane Austen in Lockdown: How her six novels are more relevant than ever

      July 7, 2021

      Watch with Pride: Your Top TV Picks this Pride Month

      May 17, 2021

      Globe Trotting on Screen: Your Guide to Summer 2021

      May 16, 2021
    • Lifestyle
      1. Fashion
      2. Food and Drink
      3. Social
      4. Health and Beauty
      5. Travel
      Featured

      Country Highlight: The Netherlands

      By Emily ShoultsMay 6, 20220
      Recent

      Country Highlight: The Netherlands

      May 6, 2022

      If You’re Moving Back Home After Uni …

      August 3, 2021

      All About … Period Poverty

      May 17, 2021
    • Discovery
      1. Science
      2. Environment
      3. History
      4. International
      Featured

      Brewing up a Storm: The History of Guinness

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      Manizha – the artist causing a stir as the Russian representative for Eurovision 2021:

      May 6, 2021

      Japan plan to release radioactive water into the ocean

      May 6, 2021

      The link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots

      April 29, 2021
    • Sport
      1. Varsity 2019
      2. Varsity 2018
      3. Varsity 2017
      4. Varsity 2016
      5. Varsity 2015
      6. Varsity 2014
      7. Varsity 2013
        • Varsity 2013 Results
        • Varsity 2013 – In tweets
      Featured

      Bangor Muddogs’ American Football: a young woman finding her place

      By Jade HillMarch 23, 20210
      Recent

      The 48-hour rise and fall of the European Super League

      April 27, 2021

      The European Super League is announced

      April 19, 2021

      Formula 1’s ‘Drive to Survive S3’ is released

      April 7, 2021
    • Students’ Union
      1. Union News
      2. Societies
      3. Volunteering
      4. Clubs
      Featured

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      By Caroline CartmillMarch 17, 20210
      Recent

      Bangor University Feminist Society

      March 30, 2021

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      March 17, 2021

      LGBT History Month in Bangor

      March 4, 2021
    • Issues
      • Current Issue
      • This year’s issues
      • Last year’s issues
      • Seren Archive
      • Seren Teams
    Seren
    Home»News & Politics»UK News»Commemorating 70 Years since the Bethesda Bomber Aircraft Tragedy
    UK News

    Commemorating 70 Years since the Bethesda Bomber Aircraft Tragedy

     Téa WeinerBy Téa WeinerApril 6, 2020No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    In the early hours of 15 March 1950 an Avro Lincoln bomber from RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire crashed above Bethesda. None of the crew, aged between 22 and 32, survived.

     

    In this, the 80th year since the Battle of Britain, Dr Hazel Pierce, Associate Member of the Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book at Bangor University, has looked into this accident to remember the six men who lost their lives and to recognise the efforts of local people who helped in the rescue attempt that night.

     

    ‘All of the crew were young men, some with young families who had already served their country with honour and survived terrible dangers during the war,’ explains Hazel. ‘It is hard to accept that they lost their lives during peacetime on a routine training flight.’

     

    After being diverted to RAF Valley due to bad weather, the Lincoln approached with a defective radio which necessitated communicating with it on two frequencies. It was seen and heard overhead but ten minutes later, Mr Owen Brown-Williams, Water Bailiff at Bangor Corporation Reservoir, and his wife Agnes awoke to the roar of a plane’s engines.  Looking out the window they saw the navigation lights of a large plane. The huge bomber with a wingspan of 120ft was on a steady course and showing no sign of being in difficulties but, according to Owen, ‘it looked to be too low in such a mountainous area.’ 

     

    Owen’s judgement was sadly correct and the destruction of the great plane and its six crew was only minutes away. ‘We heard an explosion within a very short time and a sheet of fire leapt into the night sky at the far end of the Llafar Valley’. Also witness to the terrible explosion were upland farmers who described it as ‘a ball of fire in the valley with burning fragments scattering in all directions.’ 

     

    Agnes Brown-Williams immediately telephoned the police station at Bethesda and placed a light in her bedroom window as a guide for any survivors. The RAF Station at Valley, who was still trying to make contact with the plane, were shocked to receive the unbelievable news and the RAF Mountain Rescue Team was deployed.

     

    Members of the Fire Brigade arrived at the waterworks and split into two groups; one guided by Mr Owen Brown-Williams and the other by Mr John Ogwen Thomas of Tyddyn Du Farm, Gerlan.  In the days before volunteer Mountain Rescue teams, it was men like these who came out to help as they possessed detailed local knowledge, and would be able to identify the safest and quickest route to the crash site. 

     

    The rescue parties set off up the Llafa Valley over boggy, boulder strewn ground in pitch dark, buffeted by strong winds and showers of rain.  Whilst they slogged their way over four miles of moorland, the aircraft continued to burn, but the parties could see flares being set off which gave them hope that there might be survivors. 

     

    On arrival at the crash site the hope generated by the flares was completely dispelled, no-one could have survived such an impact which was a mere few hundred feet below the ridge between Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd. Four bodies were found in the smouldering wreckage almost immediately whilst a search had to be made for the remaining two.

     

    Mr Chris Lloyd of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team explains: ‘an aspect which was not considered in the 1950s is the traumatic effect that an incident such as this might have on the rescuers.’ Mr Lloyd continues: ‘today there is awareness and counselling expertise to assist rescuers with recovery from such an experience.’  

     

    At the inquest in Bethesda, a verdict of accidental death was recorded and the coroner remarked that ‘how it happened that the pilot found himself in the hills was a puzzle and would obviously remain a puzzle.’

     

    He also thanked all those who had gone out to help the aircraft’s occupants.  His thanks were echoed by Squadron Leader Hewitson from Valley who stated that he had dealt with aircraft crashes in the area during the war and ‘how much was appreciated the assistance always given and kindnesses shown by the people of Bethesda district to RAF personnel engaged in crash rescues.’

     

    The huge bomber had crashed on the fringe of an area known as a graveyard for aircraft due to the number which had crashed there during the war. 70 years ago on 15 March 1950 it sadly claimed six more lives.

     

    For more information about the crash and the six crewmen who lost their lives in that remote spot, visit:  http://colclough.bangor.ac.uk/blog/commemorating-70-years-since-the-bethesda-bomber-tragedy-43328

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Téa Weiner

    Related Posts

    2020: A Year of Food News in Review

    December 27, 2020

    Birmingham group provides free food to families after motion to extend free school meals fails

    November 23, 2020

    Deadline set for students going home over Christmas

    November 11, 2020

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    MORE INFORMATION
    • ABOUT
    • ADVERTISE
    • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED
    • MEMBERS
    Links
    • Bangor University Bangor University
    • Google+ Google+
    • Undeb Bangor Undeb Bangor
    About

    Seren is Bangor University Students’ Union’s English Language Newspaper

    We have editorial independence from both Bangor University and Bangor Students’ Union. Seren is written by students for students and we’d love you to get involved!

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.