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Registration
or Serial:
MG356
Operator: Royal Air Force
(4 Observer Advanced Flying Unit (4 OAFU))
Operating Base: RAF West Freugh
Base
Location: West Freugh, 8 km (c. 5 miles) SE of Stranraer
Current
Airport Status: Reserved by RAF. May still be used for RAF /
NATO exercises.
Current
Airport Name:
West Freugh QinetiQ / RADARSTAT. Canadian operated
satellite ground tracking station.
(Principal airport data courtesy of
John Woodside,
A
Catalogue of UK Airfields)
Aircraft Type Nickname: Faithful Annie
Aircraft Type & Background
The Avro
Anson was an adaptation of the civilian Avro 652 aircraft in use by Imperial
Airways.
The Anson
was the first aircraft in RAF service with a retractable
undercarriage. The aircraft was flown initially by No. 48 Squadron
of RAF Coastal Command.
The Anson
was used for coastal reconnaissance and maritime patrol; and,
latterly, for crew training, light transport, and communications
purposes. Among crew members, however, the Avro Anson was considered to
be a cold, draughty and very noisy aircraft.
Although
the Anson aircraft was solidly-built and reliable, 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 Avro Anson C.19 series) remained in use
with the RAF until 1968.
Usually,
Mark I Ansons were powered by two 350hp Armstrong Siddeley
Cheetah radial engines. Occasionally, however, other types would be
substituted. The aircraft had a top speed of about 188 mph (164
knots or 303 km/h) at 7,000 ft (2,100 m).
Aircraft Accident Details
Little
details of this aircraft accident are available, but it is believed that the
Anson was on a Navex (navigational exercise) from RAF West Freugh
airfield when it crashed into Bennanbrack not far from Lamachan
Hill, and about 9.6 km (c. 6 miles) N of Newton Stewart.
As far as is known, all
four crew members perished.
Below:
Avro Anson
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Accident Date
21
July 1944
Accident
Site
Bennanbrack
(Beinn an
breaghad)
Region:
Dumfries & Galloway,
SE of
Loch Trool.
Nearest
town or village: Glentrool
This aircraft crashed close to
the peak of Bennanbrack.
OS Grid Ref:
77 / 440775
GPS Ref:
NX 44050 77372
Present Condition
Some wreckage can still be
found onsite, at the GPS reference provided above. However, it is
believed that other remaining parts, which were not recovered by the
RAF, have been removed unofficially from the site over the years.
Related Links
Articles and photos of the Avro Anson are available at the following
sites:
Further Information
High Ground Wrecks & Relics:
David J. Smith
(Unfortunately, this book
is out of print at present. It may be available at
certain libraries, but otherwise it is available only as
used from, e.g.,
Amazon.co.uk)
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