Carnedd Dafydd - Boston, Z2186 (Pen Yr Ole Wen in background)
| Site visited | 17 April 2010 | Location |
Carnedd Dafydd, Carneddau, Wales SH 66658 62927 53.14673°N, 3.99518°W 53°08.804’N, 3°59.711’W |
| Aircraft | |||
| Manufacturer | Douglas | Registration | Z2186 |
| Model | Boston Mk III | Unit | 418 Squadron |
| Crash date | 17 October 1942 | ||
| Further Information | |||
| Peak Wreck Hunters; Boston (Wikipedia) | |||
Carnedd Dafydd - Boston, Z2186
GeoTopoi 
I saw this…in 1975….one complete wing was on the top of a ridge and both engines and a small part of the fuselage…where are they now?
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I’m currently researching the formation of 418 Squadron (City of Edmonton) RCAF – this crash was a training flight
“With No. 418 (I) Squadron, RCAF. Lost on training mission on 17 October 1942. 2 killed and 12 injured, including persons on ground. Crashed in Carnedd Dafydd in the Carneddau whilst on a cross country navigation training flight from Bradwell Bay in Essex.”
I do not have the crew names as yet but if you are interested, I can get more information to you about this crash at some later date.
Cliff Adams F/Lt (Ret.)418(City of Edmonton)Squadron Association
Alberta Aviation Museum
Edmonton Alberta Canada
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Thanks for the input, Cliff. Here are some further details to supplement your information.
In his book ‘No Landing Place’ (1985), Edward Doylerush gives an account of this incident and provides some details of the pilot. The book also shows a photo of a wing from the Boston on Carnedd Dafydd “more than thirty years after the crash”.
The pilot was Sergeant Mervyn Sims, RCAF, and the aircraft was on a training flight from Bradwell Bay, Essex. It was off course in the mist when it crashed on 17 October 1942.
Sims survived the crash but the other two crew members died instantly. Following the crash, he managed to put together a makeshift shelter from parts of the aircraft skin and remained there, badly injured, for a couple of days until being discovered by an airman and his girlfriend out walking in the mountains.
He was taken to hospital in Bangor and was found to have sustained a whole series of injuries, including: a broken back, fractured skull, concussion, a broken leg, injured knee, broken thumb, plus various cuts and bruises.
He remained in hospital until May 1943 and thereafter rejoined 418 Squadron. He completed his tour in August 1944 and was decorated with the DFC.
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I have photos of both engines and wings taken in 1981 before they were removed from the mountain if you’re interested I can e-mail you them.
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I was there in 1976 parts were widely scattered including engines, oxygen bottles,undercarriage and wheel part of fuselage and many other smaller parts all gradually sinking into the ground as the years go by. I was also able to identify the point of impact at the top of the ridge. The rock there had signs of impact damage traces of burn marks and many small crushed pieces of metal and perspex. From the evidence and layout of the land and the wreckage, I formed the impression that visibility had been poor (as it often is at this place due to cloud) that the pilot had been surprised by the sudden appearenc of the mountain, tried to get over the ridge and failed. The aircraft had hit the ridge at speed and exploded on impact scattering its parts over the wide area as discribed. whatever our historic or technical interest, we must never forget the human tragedies involved.
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On further research, the 1940’s aircraft wreckage I saw on carnedd dafydd in 1976 could not have been a Boston since the Boston had radial engines and the engines I saw had the appearance of merlin engines as used in the Lancaster – which I thought the wreckage might have come from. The only other record can find of a 1940’s RAF piston engined aircraft to have crashed on carnedd dafydd was an Anson (1943), and what I saw was definately not from an anson. Can anyone enlightten me? Did a Lancaster or similar crash on carnedd dafydd. What I saw was from a large 1940’s multi engined piston engined RAF aircraft – the camoflage paintwork and insignia were still visible. What was it? When?
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Probably not much help, but according to Doylerush’s list, Lockheed Ventura AE688 also crashed on Carnedd Dafydd (18 August 1943). But this is also a radial-engined aircraft.
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Pingback: Carnedd Dafydd – Douglas Boston Mk III, Z2186, 418 Squadron, 17 Oct 1942 (2) « GeoTopoi
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