ABERHAFESP REMEMBERS

Aberhafesp war memorial

 The village of Aberhafesp lies about midway between Caersws and Newtown, stretching out along each side of a busy country lane. Its church – dedicated to St Gwynnog – stands at the top of a gentle rise and in early Spring is surrounded by swathes of snowdrops. The village war memorial stands near the entrance gate and is of an unusual and elegant design. Standing beside it you can enjoy beautiful views of the rolling Mid-Wales hills.


Attached to its base is a modern looking slate plaque inscribed with nine names and a brief description of how they came to meet their death near the village. It says: “In memory of the R.A.F. (V.R.) airmen who died as a result of a crash at Glascoed Farm on 23^rd January 1944. The Handley Page Halifax Bomber No DG 358 of 116 Heavy Conversion Unit from Faldingworth was struck by lightning.” The men range in age from 18 to 31 and come from places as far apart as Islington and Aberdeen. The plaque was laid in place in 1995 to mark fifty years since the end of the Second World War.

The 1995 plaque

Faldingworth was an airfield near Lincoln and the Bomber was on a training flight having it seems turned and begun its journey home. The weather however was appalling with torrential rain and high winds making for the worst possible flying conditions. Exactly what happened will never now be known, but the official report spoke of a stormcloud, lightning strike and also mentioned engine failure. The resultant crash at Glascoed Farm left all nine crew members dead. Recent years have seen a book published about the accident to go alongside the slate plaque and a beautiful framed tribute inside the church as witness that the men have not been forgotten locally and live on very much in the village’s communal memory. Their names I think are worth recording here:

Halifax Bomber

                        Paul Bennett, Pilot

                        Albert Clark, Air Gunner

                        Norman Fisher, Bomb Aimer

                        ER Gawler, Flight Engineer

                        John Gibb, Flight Engineer

                        David Ramsey, Flight Engineer

                        John Spriggs, Navigator

                        William Wareham, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner

                        William Wyatt, Air Gunner