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Wellington DV800 took off from RAF Lichfield on 19 July 1942 for a daytime cross-country navigation exercise. One leg of the planned route took the aircraft from Holyhead to Rhyl, running along the North Wales coast. The Court of Inquiry concluded that a navigation error, possibly compounded by wireless equipment failure, caused the crew to fly up the Ogwen Valley from Bethesda in cloud rather than following the coast. The aircraft struck the ridge between Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn at about 2,500 feet in an area known as Black Ladders (Ysgolion Duon) and burned fiercely on impact. It was ten days before the crash site was located. The two Australian airmen were buried together at Caernarfon (Llanbeblig) Cemetery.
Aircraft & Operation Details
Aircraft Type
Wellington Mk.IC
Serial Number
DV800
Squadron
27 OTU
Station
RAF Lichfield
Date of Loss
1942-07-19
Operation Type
Training
Cause of Loss
Navigation error in cloud; aircraft flew up valley from Bethesda into the mountainside at ~2,500 ft
Crew (5 members)
Rank
Name
Role
Age
Nationality
Fate
Burial / Status
Sgt
Eric Harvey Longbottom
416004 RAAF
Pilot
—
Australian
Killed
Caernarfon (Llanbeblig) CemeteryCWGC
Sgt
Lionel Denis Traylen
1378536 RAFVR
Observer
—
British
Killed
Not confirmedCWGC
Sgt
Richard Ivor Bowen
1265010 RAF
Observer
—
British
Killed
Not confirmedCWGC
Sgt
Samuel James Wilson
1026302 RAF
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
—
British
Killed
Not confirmedCWGC
Sgt
Rupert Theodore Bannister
411475 RAAF
Air Gunner
—
Australian
Killed
Caernarfon (Llanbeblig) CemeteryCWGC
About the Crew
Sgt Eric Harvey LongbottomPilot
From Western Australia
Memorial Details
Type
Protected war grave with wreckage; crash site cairn
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