Avro Anson MG356

All 283 Munros, 221 Corbetts and 224 Grahams are covered in detail including descriptions, pictures, location maps, walking routes, weather reports, and many tools to help you find all the mountain information you require.

OtherAircraft

Aircraft Indices

Aircraft Index (listed alphabetically by manufacturer).

Regions Index (list of crash sites by Regions / Districts).

Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: An Avro 652A T21 Anson (WD413 / G-VROE) of Air Atlantique Classic Flight at Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire, England.

RAF Hullavington

Presevered Avro Anson at Air Atlantique Classic Flight

Photo: 2005. Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone). Released by the author to the public domain.

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Avro Anson / MG356

Aircraft Type Nickname: "Faithful Annie"

The Avro Anson was an adaption of the civilian Avro 652 in use by Imperial Airways.

The Anson was the first aircraft in RAF service to be equipped with a retractable undercarriage. The aircraft type was flown initially by No. 48 Squadron of RAF Coastal Command.

The Anson was used for coastal reconnaissance and maritime patrols. Latterly, it was used for crew training, light transport, and communications purposes. Among crew members, however, the Anson was considered to be a cold, draughty, and very noise aircraft.

Although the Anson was a solidly-built and reliable aircraft, it was nevertheless slow and vulnerable to attack. For this and other reasons, it was inevitable that the Anson would be replaced—as indeed it was, with the Lockheed Hudson bomber.

Later generations of Ansons (the Anson C.19 series) remained in use with the RAF until 1968.

Usually, Mark I Ansons were powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radial engines. Occasionally, however, other types would be substituted. The Anson had a top speed of about 188 mph (164 knots or 303 km/h) at 7,000ft (2,100m).

Aircraft Accident Details

Edward Gresswell known as "Teddy" was a Wireless Operator with Coastal Command stationed at Wigtownshire, and was one of the crew flying this Anson aircraft. The date of his death was 21st July 1944. He was 19.

It it is believed that the Anson had been on a Navex (Navigational Exercise) from RAF West Freugh airfield, near Stranraer. However, while the plane and the crew were returning home, the aircraft crashed into a mountain (Bennanbrack), not far from Lamachan Hill, 9.6km (c. 6 miles) N of Newton Stewart, Scotland. All on board were killed.

The navigator was new and he made a mistake, There were so many mountains in Scotland and he mistook the airfield. He, Teddy, and three others lost their lives. The crew had apparently not been together for very long. Three were Australian and the other two were British.

Aircraft Crew Casualties

Those who lost their lives in this tragic accident were:

Aus 410957 F/Sgt (Pilot) Raymond John Crotty (21), RAAF
Aus 432683 Sgt (Nav.U/T.) Darius Bede Northmore (25), RAAF
Aus 407993 W/O (Staff W.Op./Air Gnr.) Peter Smith (26), RAAF
1603389 Sgt (Pupil AB) Bertram Ernest William Becker (24), RAFVR (UK)
1851841 Sgt (W.Op/Air Gnr. U/T) Edward ("Teddy") Hugh Patrick Cresswell (19), (UK)

Sgt Edward Hugh Patrick Cresswell was buried at Paignton, Devon, where his parents also were laid to rest.

Crash Site Photos

BELOW: Looking W from Bennanbrack toward Lamachan Hill in Dumfries and Galloway, the patch of scarred ground in the photo, indicated by the arrow, shows clearly the location of Avro Anson MG356 crash site. (See under Crash Date/Site above right for GPS and OS grid references.)

anson mg356 crash site on bennanbrack

BELOW: Landing gear strut and hub, with some other fragmented wreckage.

anson mg356 landing gear wreckage

BELOW: Wreckage includes an oxygen or fire extinguisher bottle (near back of pile), and other smaller pieces of equipment.

oxygen or fire extinguisher bottle among wreckage

Photo Gallery

There are no additional photos of this crash site in the Photo Gallery.

Recommend this page.

TOP OF PAGE

Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 21 Jul 1944

Accident Site:

Bennanbrack

(Beinn an breaghad)

Region: Dumfries and Galloway (SE of Loch Trool)

Nearest town or village:

Glentrool

Nearest large towns:

Girvan (NW) or Newton Stewart (S)

OS Grid Ref. 77 / NX 440 775

GPS Ref. NX 44050 77372

Present Condition: Some wreckage, including landing gear sections, remain onsite at GPS ref. provided above. It is believed that other parts not recovered by the RAF have been removed unofficially from the site over the years.