Brecon Beacons

[Nick]

Went to Wales last week for a few days walking, staying near Brecon. This nice little town is home to the South Wales Borderers Regimental Museum and as many Brits will be aware the SWB were the brave chaps to fight the Zulu warriors at Rorkes Drift.

I ascended a ridge of mountains to the south of Brecon, Pen-y-Fan, Cribyn, Fan-y-Big (stop giggling at the back there!) and Waun Rydd. Take a moment to look at an aerial view and you will see a set of ridges laid out like a hand with the knuckles being the hilltops.
The British Army use this area to train troops and I saw at least 80 soldiers with full pack and weapons walking from peak to valley base to peak again and again. The SAS used this area for their selection courses before moving to the lonely wilderness of Scotland, there being so many tourists here.

While up on the tops I saw a Hawk and a Harrier zoom past, several Chinooks whop-whopping by, at least 4 C-130 Hercules in the distance and one so low the shadow on the field was the same size. A Cessna 150 type buzzed one peak so low I thought it was going to land (in 30metres? I don't think so!).

Of more interest was the Vickers Wellington.

Nick B)  

[Nick]

Vickers Wellington, R1465, crashed on 6th July 1942 while on a cross country training flight. The Canadian crew, based at 22 Operational Training Unit, got lost in thick cloud and descended from 10000 feet to look for ground features. Tragically they hit a cliff at around 2000 feet. The aircraft remains are still there and a permmanent memorial was erected in 1980.

http://www.clwb-cerdded-ystalyfera.i12.com...pages/r1465.htm


View of area


Remains of Wellington


The 125 Memorial Cross was left by 125 (Cheltenham) Air Training Corps
http://www.atc125.fsnet.co.uk/articles.htm#canada1


Memorial


Plaque


These young men are not forgotten, if the number of Remembrance Crosses and Poppies are anything to go by.

[Howard of Effingham]

thanks for posting this nick.  

a nice touch in an otherwise blank of sort day.  

[The Rat]

It's beautiful country Nick, high on my list of places to go. Thanks for posting.

Vickers Wellington, R1465, crashed on 6th July 1942 while on a cross country training flight.

 :salute:  

The Canadian crew, based at 22 Operational Training Unit, got lost in thick cloud and descended from 10000 feet to look for ground features. Tragically they hit a cliff at around 2000 feet.

Unfortunately that was, I believe, a frequent occurance. Almost happened to my Dad. They were near Vietnam heading out to Hong Kong when the navigator said he needed to get a 'land fix' to verify his figures. They descended through the clouds and stared straight at a mountainside. Application of full power, a climbing turn, and a few muttered prayers and oaths later and they were safely back above the clouds.

A Cessna 150 type buzzed one peak so low I thought it was going to land (in 30metres? I don't think so!).

You can land them in less than that actually. Oh, you wanted to walk away?    But I did see a C172 land in just a few metres once. The Chief Flying Instructor had gone up in fairly calm conditions at about 6am for a weather flight before all the students turned up. When he came back the wind had risen and was screaming straight down the runway at about the same landing speed of the aircraft. We watched as he put about 40 degrees of flap on and came down almost vertically, rolled a few metres, and turned off the runway. Yep, he had brass ones!  

[The Rat]

Hey, I just noticed something looking at that plaque - the entire crew were NCOs! From one Sergeant to others, I'll salute them again.  :salute:  

[nev]

Unfortunately that was, I believe, a frequent occurance. Almost happened to my Dad. They were near Vietnam heading out to Hong Kong when the navigator said he needed to get a 'land fix' to verify his figures. They descended through the clouds and stared straight at a mountainside. Application of full power, a climbing turn, and a few muttered prayers and oaths later and they were safely back above the clouds

There's a story in the excellent Phantom Over Vietnam were a plane is lost with all 4 crew on board.  The flew into a mountain @ 8000ft, when the map said the highest peak was only 6000ft.  The maps were wrong

Great pics Nick, thanks for posting  :salute:  

[Captain Canada]

Yes, great post, Nick ! I enjoyed reading that, and daydreaming about walking the hills and seing all those sights !

Shame about the Wellington and her crew, tho.....