Have you ever heard of the WWII plane Avro Anson Mk1 N5130?
In the summer of 1941, an Avro Anson made a forced landing at Morfa Farm between Abergele and Kinmel Bay.
Researching this is Gwyn Hughes of the GRŴP HANES DEGANWY HISTORY GROUP. Gwyn is an authority on aircraft crashes along the north Wales coast.
He wrote to AbergelePost on 19 September 2013 asking for our readers’ help:
“I am researching an accident on this aircraft during Feb 1944 at Marl Farm in Llandudno Junction with five fatalities ….and have found more information on this same aircraft of an earlier accident . The first crash was a forced landing at Abergele at Morfa Farm between Abergele and Kinmel bay on the 27th July 1941. The landing resulted with its undercarriage being torn off when it ran into a ditch at the end of a field .
“I wonder if any of your readers can recall this incident or know any eyewitnesses who may have seen it. … I have checked out all local newspapers – Abergele Visitor, Rhyl Journal, Rhyl Leader – with no reports on this aircraft.”
AbergelePost contributing journalist Nigel Hilton read Gwyn’s comment and said:
“I’ve trawled through my collection of books on aircraft crashes but, apart from Terence R. Hill’s 2 Volumes titled ‘Down in Wales’, most mainly cover those in the Snowdonia area. Volume 1 of Edward Doylerush’s book ‘No Landing Place’ makes mention of Anson N5130′s last flight in the Appendix. As Gwyn probably knows through his role as webmaster for Deganwyarchive.co.uk and with his greater access to archive material, the aircraft was from 8(O)AFU (Observers/Advanced Flying Unit) at RAF Mona on Anglesey on a Navigational Exercise. On 15 February 1944 the ‘plane disintegrated in the air near Marl Farm, Llandudno Junction’, possibly as a result of a detached aileron. There were no survivors unfortunately. So far I’ve been unable to find anything on the earlier incident on the 27 July 1941.”
Here’s the latest news from Gwyn:
“I spoke to a farmer at Gors Farm and he gave me a lead to talk to his relative now living in Llangernyw, who was living at Gors Farm during the war years …fingers crossed !!”
You can read the full discussion in the comments section here; we’ll keep you posted regarding any developments. Feel free to let us know if you have any information about the 1941 incident which we can pass on to Gwyn.
I have a vague memory of an aircraft landing at Morfa Farm, but more than that I cannot help – there was a total freeze on info during WW11 even for locals. Is Gwyn aware of the German bomber which crash landed near the the farm at Tanygoppa. I was about 10 at the time and ran through the school fields with others. We got very close but standing there was a P.C. Sam Williams, a highly respected member of the Force, who stopped us going any further. He told us that there were unexploded bombs in the aircraft and the 5 Germans were dead and still strapped to their respective seats.If Gwyn wants more info on a couple of other flying incidents at Abergele – he need only ask.
Wow Noel. It’s great to hear from someone who witnessed this first hand. Thanks for contributing to this discussion. If you have any other recollections about your childhood in Abergele, feel free to send them on to us. Diolch.
Hi my father was evacuated to Abergele and recalls a fighter crash. He has mentioned Beaufighter. He thinks he was about 9 which would make it 42 or 43 or so
thank you for your reply Noel , very interesting , I must correct the statement above , Gareth kindly quotes I’m an “authority on North Wales air crashes” , sorry but I’m not , I have only researched this particular aircraft Avro Anson N5130 as it came down in my local area – Llandudno Junction and found there was not much data about it ( see above web address)…but would welcome any other data from this area .
note – a local resident from Abergele gave me some damaged tree Photos from her husbands scrapbook
“Sue Foulkes – photographs obtained of damaged trees from her husband’s scrapbook …Earlam Foulkes”