West Wales Has a Long and Distinguished Military History, with The
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Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 Royal Air Force Pembrey West Wales has a long and distinguished military history, with the Royal Dockyard at Pembroke, and the Army bases at Pendine, Penally and Castlemartin, but the newest of the Armed Forces is the Royal Air Force, and during the 20th Century, twelve R.A.F. or R.N.A.S. bases were created throughout the area. This page serves to commemorate the men who flew from the only one of these bases to be situated in Carmarthenshire: R.A.F. Pembrey. Many thanks to John Davies of Llanelli for the photographs of the War Graves at St. Illtyd Church, Pembrey, and to Dave Wakeford, the son of Squadron Leader Lionel Wakeford, for the photograph of his late father and for details about him and the crash. Thanks also to Steve Jones for the photo and details regarding F/O Beverley Thompson, and for the extra details on the other airmen buried at Pembrey. RAF Pembrey started as a training base for anti-aircraft gunners in 1936, with 280 Ground Defence Squadron. In 1938 plans were drawn up for an airfield and the airbase was operational by 1939. After the loss of France there was a great need for airfields to defend Britain from the Luftwaffe and Pembrey became a Battle of Britain fighter base, and formed part of 10 Group, Fighter Command. Headquarters of 10 Group were at RAF Box, which controlled the airfields in its area. Pembrey was home to 92 Squadron from 18 June 1940, and then to 79 Squadron, from 8 September 1940. The area saw a great deal of action with both the airfield and the nearby Royal Ordnance Factory at Pembrey being major targets for German bombers, and it is believed that 25 official kills were accredited to aircraft flown out of Pembrey during this time. In 1941 Pembrey became an RAF Gunnery School, equipped with Vickers Wellington's, Fairey Battles and Bristol Blenheim's, using the airfield's Spitfires as dummy targets to teach the crews how to shoot down enemy fighters. Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, of 'Dambusters' fame was once stationed at Pembrey. A noteworthy incident was the story of Oberleutnant Arnim Faber, Adjutant of III fighter Gruppe of JG2, who on 23 June 1942 had engaged Spitfires over the south coast of Britain and on heading towards Exeter, mistook the Bristol Channel for the English Channel. Being short on fuel, he landed at Pembrey believing it to be a Luftwaffe airfield in France. The Pembrey Duty Pilot, a Sgt. Jeffreys, grabbed a Very pistol and ran from the control tower and jumped onto the wing of Faber's aircraft as it taxied in. Ironically, Faber was piloting the latest enemy fighter, the Focke Wulf 190A, a type the RAF had only ever seen flying over France. Below is a photograph of the actual aeroplane, courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 In 1945 Fighter Command once again took over the base, and RAF Pembrey became home to 233 Operational Conversion Unit which flew De Havilland Vampires and Hawker Hunters. On its closure on 13 July 1957, Princess Margaret flew on the last Valetta aircraft to leave the runway. There were five huge hangers for bombers and a number of smaller blister- roofed hangers for fighter aircraft but these were taken down in 1962 and only two remain. There was an observation tower near Allt Cunedda Farm, a radio station on the Pinged Road and a domed star navigation building that still stands on the approach to the airfield. There were a series of anti-aircraft batteries and numerous pillboxes to defend the area, as well as numerous concrete anti aircraft emplacements used to train Gunnery crews. Along the railway line tank blocks protected against invasion and along the top end of Cefn Sidan, the stakes that defended against landings are still visible at low tide. Pembrey has been host to many Squadrons and aircraft types over its time. The following were the main Squadrons stationed at Pembrey during its active history. Although not an extensive list, it gives an insight into the character of Pembrey during its service history: Squadron Numbers 595, 92 and 118 flew Spitfires; Numbers 32, 79 and 316 (formed at Pembrey) flew Hurricanes; Numbers 238 and 248 flew Bristol Beaufighter's; Numbers 256 and 307 flew the Bolton Paul Defiant's, and Number 233 OCU flew Vampires, Tempest, Mosquito, Meteors and Hunters from there. Below is an early Spitfire, on display at RAF Cosford Air Museum. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 R.A.F. Burials at Pembrey (St. Illtyd) Churchyard There are five Commonwealth burials of the 1914-18 war here, and there are twenty two more burials of the 1939-45 war, one of which is an unidentified airman of the R.A.F. There are also seven Polish Air Force war burials here. Some of these men were locals, and have been remembered on the Pembrey War Memorial. Those who are not on the Memorial are remembered below. Also, once buried at Pembrey, was a German crewman of a Luftwaffe Junkers 88 Bomber. The first burials are the four-man crew of the ill-fated Handley-Page Hampden, Serial P4311, which had been detached from 14 OTU for training at RAF Pembrey. The aeroplane crashed on the edge of the Gwendraeth Marshes on 17 September 1940, killing its four man crew. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 David Jack Blair, Sergeant (Pilot), 754538, Royal Air Force. David was the son of William Blair and Margaret Blair (nee Wood). He served as a Pilot at RAF Pembrey, and died as part of the crew of Hampden P4311, from 14 OTU, on 17 September 1940, aged just 21. George Warden Brown, Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr. U/T), 970851, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Gordon was the son of Robert and Mary Brown of Dundee. He was part of the crew of Hampden P4311 which crashed on 17 September 1940. George was 20 years old. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 John Douglas Laing Cooper, Sergeant, 971470, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. John was the son of James D. Cooper and Robina M. Cooper of Giffnock, Renfrewshire. John was killed on 17 September 1940 during the crash of Hampden P4311. He was 22 years old. Basil York Sowter, Pilot Officer (Pilot), 42083, Royal Air Force. Basil was the Pilot of the doomed Hampden P4311 which crashed on 17 September 1940. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 Other RAF Burials at Pembrey John Raymond Baldock, Pilot Officer, 4087075, Royal Air Force. John was born on 4 January 1932 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and was serving at RAF Pembrey with 233 OCU. He was killed when he crashed his Vampire jet, Serial VZ106, into Fan Hir, in the Black Mountains on 9 October 1953. John was just 21 years old, and is buried at Pembrey. Spencer Rhys Bevan-John, Pilot Officer, 81933, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Spencer was the son of Rhys Bevan John, B.A., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. and Katharine Bevan John, of Pembrey. He was a Scholar of Brasenose College, Oxford, when he volunteered into the RAFVR, and trained as a Pilot. Spencer was posted to 53 Squadron, which flew the Bristol Blenheim IV, based at Thorney Island. Soon after the outbreak of war 53 Squadron moved to France to undertake strategic reconnaissance duties. The Squadron returned to the UK in May 1940 to fly reconnaissance missions from south-east England and in July began bombing sorties. Spencer was killed when his Blenheim crashed into the Borth Sea on 30 September, 1940. He was aged only 19, and was brought home for burial at Pembrey. Spencer's brother D.R.S. Bevan-John was captured by the Italians when he was a crew- member aboard a Sunderland of 228 Squadron, that was shot down in the Mediterranean on 6 August, 1941. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 Montague Beaumont Glover, Lieutenant, 159476, Royal Artillery. Montague was the son of Beaumont and Louisa Vernon Jane Rigby Glover, and the husband of Vera Annette Elizabeth Glover of Herne Hill, London. He served with the Royal Artillery, based at RAF Pembrey, probably in charge of an Anti Aircraft gun, when he died on 11 August 1941. He was 47 years old. Harold George Henry, Leading Aircraftman, (W.Op/Air Gunner), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Harold was the son of George and Mabel Frances Henry, and the husband of Kate Ivy Henry. He died on 24 May 1942, aged 31. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 John Harvey Hutchinson, Wing Commander (Pilot), 16112, Royal Air Force. John was the son of William and Asta Hutchinson, of Finchampstead, Berkshire, and the husband of Beatrice K. Hutchinson, of Finchampstead. John was based at RAF Pembrey, and died when his Miles Magister, Serial P6347, hit the cable of a tethered barrage balloon at Langley, near Slough on 8 October 1940. He was buried at Pembrey. Frederick William Rupert Jacques, Pilot Officer, 3520735, Royal Air Force. Frederick was born 27 June 1929 at Batu Gajah, Malaya. He served with 233 OCU based at RAF Pembrey. Frederick was killed on 20 June 1957 when his Hawker Hunter, Serial WT563, crashed soon after take off into Kidwelly Railway Station. Frederick was 27 years old and is buried at Pembrey. Steven John Copyright © West Wales War Memorial project 2015 George Alfred Layton, Leading Aircraftman (W.Op/Air Gunner), 1376316, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.