WW2 Spitfire Crash

by | Air Force, Armed Forces

Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1

Spitfire Crash Site: Craig Y Llyn (Mynydd Pen-Y-Cae) Location : Mynydd Pen-Y-Cae, South of Cwmgwrach, Glamorgan, UK. Departure airport: RAF Llandow, Glamorgan Destination airport: RAF Llandow, Glamorgan Phase: On route Nature: Training

Narrative:
Spitfire R7057 was assigned to 53 OTU RAF Llandow on 3rd February 1941. 
While on exercise it flew into Mynydd Pen-y-Cae, South of Cwmgwrach, near Glynneath in low cloud on 12th August 1941. 
Aircraft impacted at 1,960 feet/597 metres above sea level. Pilot P/O C.J. Day was killed 

Crew: Pilot Officer Colin James Day (Pilot) (Service Number 102080) – killed. Buried Reading (Henley Road) Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire (see burial information below)

Some sources state that Spitfire R7057 was a “presentation” aircraft, bought with public funds and subscriptions to War Bonds, and thus named “CAITHNESS” (see link). The impact site for this aircraft is rather small. Its close proximity to an active forestry track may explain this. Closer examination of the track showed numerous small fragments of melted alloy, spreading approximately 10 metres either side of the impact site. Small piles of wreckage had been collected and a shrine type structure constructed from stones is present.

A party of locals, Leighton Collins grandfather being one, formed a search party to find the aircraft when it crashed.
The wreckage from the Spitfire were collected and put into wooden boxes, and they were stored in the Dunraven Arms until being collected by the military. The body of the Pilot was also collected by the Military and taken off the mountain.

Most of the front of plane and one of the wings had sunk into the boggy ground on impact.

A small shrine at the crash site along with the aircraft remains
  • The old memorial to the spitfire pilot that was maintained by Leighton Collins over the last few years.
  • Glyncorrwg friends dig the hole for the memorial cross.
  • They find a piece of the spitfire in the hole they were digging.
  • The piece of the spitfire they found.
  • The cross in place with a wreath of poppies.
  • The plague that is attached to the cross.
  • A "in Remembrance" card from the Royal British Legion.
  • The newly finished memorial alongside the old memorial which has pieces of the spitfire in place.

Above you can see the memorial cross that was put on the site of the Spitfire crash and the plague that goes with it. It was organised by Chris Morgan of Glyncorrwg and Huw Watkins of Cwmgwrach, so a big thanks to them both, and to Leighton Collins who was also instrumental in keeping the grave site in a good condition over the years.

Below you can see the Commonwealth War Graves memorial pamphlet which gives the burial information about the Pilot Colin James Day, who came to an unfortunate end when his spitfire airplane crashed, on a training exercise, on Craig y Llyn on the 12th of August 1941, the pilot was only 20 years old.

In memory of Colin James Day, the Commonwealth War Graves site where he is buried.

Sources:

Link to the website: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/150559