Date:	Friday 23 February 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Anson Mk I
Owner/operator:	S of AN RAF
Registration:	N5086
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near The Old Rectory, Rhossili Down, West Gower, Glamorgan -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF St. Athan, Glamorgan, South Wales
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Anson Mk.1 N5086 of the School of Air Navigation, RAF: The aircraft flew into high ground in poor visibility on 23rd February 1940 during a navigation exercise at high ground above The Old Rectory, Rhossili Down, West Gower, Swansea, Glamorgan. All four crew were killed.

Crew of Anson N5086:
Flight Sergeant William Charles Parkes (Pilot) Service Number 562843, aged 27 - killed. Buried Stretton-Cum-Wetmoor (St. Mary) Churchyard, Staffordshire, South of church. Row 1. Grave 4.
Leading Aircraftman Andrew Roberts Sutcliffe. Service Number 746751, aged 26 - killed. Buried Brampton (St. Martin) Old Churchyard, Brampton, Cumberland Grave 90.
Leading Aircraftman Frederic Arthur Webster. Service Number 759344 - killed. Buried South Shoebury (St. Andrew) Churchyard, Shoebury, Essex, Coll. grave 614.
AC.2 William Ledsham, Service Number 630792 - killed. Buried Chester (Overleigh) Cemetery, Chester, Cheshire, New Portion, Grave 4325.

It is noteworthy that the official file on the accident (Air Ministry File AIR81/1842) at the National Archives is closed, and therefore unavailable to researchers until January 1st 2023 (=file closed for 83 years)

1. Halley, J J, 1993, Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000 to N9999, p160.
2. Stuartivant, Ray, The Anson File, Air Britain, 1988
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1842
4. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
5. Pieces of wreckage: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/489555421976251395/
6. http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.com/2009/02/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2713674/parkes,-william-charles/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2695523/sutcliffe,-andrew-roberts/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2427209/webster,-frederic-arthur/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2928280/ledsham,-william/
11. https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/401504/details/the-old-rectory-rhossili
12. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/the-old-rectory-wales

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-May-2019 23:45	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-May-2019 23:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
23-May-2019 23:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
30-May-2019 15:45	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]