Wartime accident, Cwm village, nr Dyserth, nr Rhyl North Wales

[bhodge]

Hardly any details on this one, just thought that someone might be able to help!
All I know about this incident is that it involved a British aircraft (type unknown, date unknown), which crashed in a field, on the side of a hill, after clipping trees in the village of Cwm, near Dyserth, near Rhyl North Wales. The aircraft was supposedly on a paratroop training excercise...
Sorry, but that really is all I've got!
Brian

[Icare9]

I think we need a bit more help. Have you checked your local newspaper archives? Any date? WW2 or later? Mention of paratroops would indicate 1944 or thereabouts, possibly C46 or C47.
Is Cwm near a WW2 airfield? Is it in high ground or is the hill the only high spot in the area?
Why would an aircraft be in that area?
Give us more to work on and we'll do our best.
Check with your source for more details, please for anything more.

[Amrit1]

Halifax G-AIHU crashed into Cwm Mountain in 1947

http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co...alesg-aihu.htm

http://wrecksiteuk.blogspot.com/2008...n-halifax.html

A

[Atcham Tower]

There was also B-17F 42-5791 of 95th BG which crashed in a field about half a mile from the summit of Cwm Mt on 28/12/43, killing all 18 on board. It is called a mountain locally but is just short of a thousand feet high.

[bhodge]

Thanks guy's, I'm amazed that you've come up with these facts considering what I gave you to work with! The info I had was at least third-hand, the originator died many years ago. He was farming the land at the time of the crash, his son, who was very young only knew what his father had told him...this info was then passed to the sons son...from whom the info was passed to me. It was said that the aircraft involved was a Lancaster....carrying paratroops!

[Atcham Tower]

It seems like the two crashes have got mixed up over the years, then stirred with rumour and local folklore! The B-17 was heading for Woodvale from Horham in Suffolk when it flew into rising ground in fog. I have walked the field crash site but found not a scrap of wreckage in the hedges, nor any discoloration of the vegetation on this rough pasture. Strange because there was a fierce fire.

[Icare9]

There is an unusual bare patch at 53 16 41 11 N and 3 23 33 17 W on Google Earth, right in a patch of woodland. Could that be a crash site? A B17 with 18 aboard? Standing room only!!

[Atcham Tower]

No, that's a logging road that has been widened at this point probably to stack timber. The B-17 - called "Ruthless" by the way and a combat veteran - crashed in the field at 53 17 04 28 N 3 23 10 49 W. The Halifax hit the hilltop just to the NE of the scar. The only piece I ever found of that was an engine firewall about 30 years ago!

[Laskarina]

In the early 1950's I used to stay on a farm in Cwm. The site of the halifax crash was in those days very open with much debris from the crash still on the site. I can well remember seeing a flying boot within the debris area. Shrubs in the area still had cloth stuck on them. The crash site has been in my thoughts whenever I think of those happy days in Cwm. To think its taken me some 50 years and more to find the cause of the crash.

[2630953]

Hi - I know this crash site - I found it by accident recently - there is a small plaque/cross with some details on, which after some Google work led me to this forum. It is very difficult to find, but if it is of real significance to anyone who is keen to seek it out then I would be happy to have a go at best describing directions on email. The summit of the hill whilst not huge is certainly one of the highest in the area (before stretching down into mid Wales) and is reachable by most walkers' abilities - within about a 10min walk are some good views of the N.Wales coast also.