3. Spitfire & Lysander Tragedy

On 14th.December, 1942, Spitfire P7295 of 61 Operational Training Unit, Rednal, Shropshire, took off for a cross-country training flight. At the controls was Free French Air Force pilot, Sergeant P. Degail. The weather was described as being 'very good’, with flying from the airfield scheduled to commence at 0900 and end at 1700. However, P7295 failed to return.

Early the next morning, Acting Flight Lieutenant Walker (*See Below) took off from Rednal in Lysander T1655 to search for the Spitfire, despite being warned of bad weather by the chief flying instructor. There was no other flying from Rednal on that day.

The crashed Spitfire was located on the lip of Cadair Berwyn,on a ridge adjoining Cadair Bronwen. As the pilot flew over the Spitfire for the second time, looking for signs of life, the Lysander became caught in a down draught and crashed. The incident, in which the pilot was killed, was classed as an 'unavoidable accident.'

Due to the severe weather, rescue teams took two days to find the Spitfire. Sergeant Degail had survived the impact, but had broken both legs and died of exposure later.

The wreckage of the Lysander was only about three to four hundred yards away. In these tragic circumstances, one pilot could not reach safety due to his injuries. The other braved the weather to search for his comrade, only to perish near him.

A visit to these today sites reveals little, they have now been made difficult to locate due to trail motor cycling in the area. This has churned up the peaty mountainside, resulting in a minor landslide near the Lysander, taking away the sparse evidence of these tragic accidents.

* The Lysander pilot's details were not clear until we heard from Paul McMillan

I think it should be Walker in Lysander T6155

Note: He was awarded the AFC (Air Force Cross)

Also he was promoted to be Pit. Offs. on prob. (emergency) on 27th Jan. 1942.

This reveals his Service numbers: Officer: 115748 Airman: 742077His AFC was gazetted 1st January 1943

Many Thanks Paul