Bristol Beaufighter T.F. Mk.X NE203 crashed on the 3rd November 1943 close to Worlds End, Llangollen whilst being ferried by the Air Transport Auxiliary

Bristol Beaufighter at the Royal Air Force Museum

 

John Shepherd Flight Sergeant Pilot Killed

 

The aircraft, a brand new Beaufighter Mk.X, was being ferried from the Bristol factory at Weston-Super-Mare to RAF Kirkbride in Cumbria when it dived into the ground on moorland near to Worlds End to the north of Llangollen killing the RAF pilot who was assigned to No.2 Ferry Pilot Pool. It would appear that the pilot had lost control of the aircraft while flying in low cloud on instruments.

Also on the 3rd November 1943 a Miles Martinet from No.41 OTU crashed on the opposite side of the hill while flying from Rednal to Hawarden killing its pilot, Flight Sergeant Jarosz

Crash site of Beaufighter NE203 near Worlds End, Llangollen
Only small fragments of the aircraft remain at the site today, there are three large depressions in the correct places for them to be the two engines and the fuselage. The wreckage is concentrated in the depression that is likely to have been caused by the fuselage.
Crash site of Beaufighter NE203 near Worlds End, Llangollen
The crash site itself has changed little in the decade since the first photo was taken, though the area around it has altered. Pine trees which were once growing in the area have been felled and heather has been cut back, though this will return within a few years.
Crash site of Beaufighter NE203 near Worlds End, Llangollen
A view of the crash site in 2012, looking towards the west.
Crash site of Beaufighter NE203 near Worlds End, Llangollen
Shattered wreckage in the crater.