Hi All I was given these items by an elderly chap a few weeks ago. The story was that he was given them by a close friend of his whose son was a pilot and was killed when his spitfire crashed in 1940. He was Sgt (pilot) Hubert Harris Raf and he came from Lower Machen in South Wales. Apparently for some reason he did a fly past over his home town and during this fly past he lost control of his aircraft and crashed and he was killed. His father went to the crash site before the aircraft was removed and as he was looking around the wreckage and whilst the police who were guarding it were not looking he picked up this piece of the aircraft as a momento of his son. Hubert Harris is buried in a churchyard at Michaelstone y vedw which is very close to his home town. I was wondering if any members have any info in relation to the crash to confirm this story (I have no reason to suggest its untrue) and also does anyone have any idea what the piece of the aircraft is. Thanks for looking ANDY
CWGC :: Casualty Details Name: HARRIS, HUBERT JAMES LEWIS Initials: H J L Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Age: 24 Date of Death: 30/03/1940 Service No: 566343 Additional information: Son of Samuel C. Harris and Frances M. Harris, of Lower Machen. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Row 1. Grave 5. Cemetery: MICHAELSTON-Y-VEDW (TIRZAH) BAPTIST CHURCHYARD 27th ROH 566343 Harris, Hubert James Lewis Sgt. 30-Mar-40 24 Michaelston-Y-Vedw Baptist (Tirzah) Churchyard, Monmouthshire. [FONT="]Pilot, No.1 Ferry Pilots Pool. Avro Anson I. N9545. Dived into ground at Machen, Monmouthshire[/FONT]
Hi Andy, I'm not an aicraft expert but I would say it is some sort of union from either a fuel or hydraulic contol line.
Hi All I was given these items by an elderly chap a few weeks ago. The story was that he was given them by a close friend of his whose son was a pilot and was killed when his spitfire crashed in 1940. He was Sgt (pilot) Hubert Harris Raf and he came from Lower Machen in South Wales. Apparently for some reason he did a fly past over his home town and during this fly past he lost control of his aircraft and crashed and he was killed. His father went to the crash site before the aircraft was removed and as he was looking around the wreckage and whilst the police who were guarding it were not looking he picked up this piece of the aircraft as a momento of his son. Hubert Harris is buried in a churchyard at Michaelstone y vedw which is very close to his home town. I was wondering if any members have any info in relation to the crash to confirm this story (I have no reason to suggest its untrue) and also does anyone have any idea what the piece of the aircraft is. Thanks for looking ANDY Dear Andy, I realise that the above was posted over a year ago, however: Hubert Harris was part of my family through my 3rd great grandfather. His sister we believe emigrated to Australia which leaves only my side of this Harris tree in the UK. My grandfather Iorwerth Harris , was his cousin and same the generation. I cannot give you hard facts to backup the story, however my grandmother used to tell us this story of Hubert , tadcu's cousin, her version was very similar to yours. That he was pilot in the RAF and was allowed to do a flyby over his village and according to her, his parents house. Somehow, things went wrong and he crashed shortly after. We do not believe he was flying a spitfire. Is there any chance you could contact me - i would be interested in bringing the original photo of Hubert, that you have uploaded, back into family possession? Many thanks, Rhian
Re Hubert James Lewis Harris pilot killed 1940 lower machen My mother who is a Lewis told me this story of a cousin of her family whose son was killed in the field behind their house. I have only just discovered who he is as I was looking at the Tirzah Baptist church graveyard head stones where he is listed. I am writing the family history and many of my family came from Michaelstone y Fedw. Your article came up when I searched his name for any further information. I have found his family in ancestry.co.uk and a probate record for Hubert and his father Samuel. I have not yet worked out how they are related to me. Thankyou for your post. Sulwen
I appreciate this is some considerable time since the last post but in case any of the previous posters are still watching..... I have been researching the fallen from the Parish of Rudry as noted on the Parish war memorial at St James. The parish of Rudry includes the previous civil parish of Rhyd-y-Gwern. Hubert is not on the St James memorial but is on the Machen memorial. As far as Hubert is concerned, he and his family lived in the village of Draethen within the civil parish of Rhyd-y-Gwern (now Rudry Parish) and did not live in Lower Machen as claimed by others. Draethen is on the south side of the river and Lower Machen on the north. He lived at Glen View, which is now called Bridge Cottage [Grade II listed] which is situate right by the bridge [Pont y Draethen] on the Draethen side. This has been confirmed by an elderly farmer in the area who knew the family. The fact all records seem to indicate he lived in Lower Machen was because the civil parish of Rhyd-y-Gwern came under the ecclesiastical parish of Lower Machen. The fact Hubert is buried in the Tirzah Chapel graveyard at Michaelston-y-Fedw and not in St Michaels at Lower Machen, which is a two minute walk from their house, adds to the fact that there was a parish divide which ecclesiastically did not exist. That said, it may have had something to do with a particular faith following as the Tirzah chapel is in another civil parish and you have to go through yet another [Llanfedw] in order to get there! Hubert's Father, Samuel Cobden Harris is buried with Hubert. Anyway, Hubert's family as far as we know: Father was Samuel Cobden Harris born 31/01/1878 and Mother was Frances Mary née Beechey born 19/01/1181. Hubert was born in 1916 and had an elder sister Eileen Dorothy born 14/02/1911. Father Samuel worked on the Tredegar Estate and, as noted, they lived at Glen View [now Bridge Cottage] in Draethen located by Pont y Draethen. Hubert’s Grandfather [Lewis Harris] was also from Draethen and like his son Samuel, a tiler and plasterer. Both worked for the Tredegar Estate and the cottage was an Estate property. Hubert attended Caerphilly Boys Secondary School and at the age of 16, following examinations on 1st November 1932, was accepted for entry as an aircraft apprentice with the Royal Air Force. In 1936, Hubert was based in RAF Ismalia [Egypt]. By 1940, he had already served in the RAF for 8 years and, at the time of his death, he was a Sgt Pilot serving with 108 Squadron and, on the tragic day, specifically assigned with 1 Ferry Pilots Pool, Air Transport Auxiliary, on passage from St Athan to RAF Sealand in Flintshire. On 30th March 1940, Hubert was flying solo in an Avro Anson MKI [N9545] - not a Spitfire - and [apparently] had permission to fly over his parent’s house in Draethen. Having done so, he then crashed into a field near Plas Machen Farm and was killed. Plas Machen is over the bridge and across the field to the right - not far - a short walk. The Coroner recorded a verdict of ‘Accidentally killed by crashing in an aeroplane’ and could not justify saying that there was any negligence. Hubert’s Father said he and his wife saw the aircraft, not knowing but suspecting it was Hubert. It circled round after flying over and went in the direction of the river. They then heard the noise of the crash and ran to the fields. Hubert’s sister Eileen, married Prof. Donald Mervyn Poulson (b.05/10/10) in Brighton in 1945 and in May 1946 was noted as a passenger on the Atlantis heading for Melbourne, Australia – arrived Freemantle 23rd June 1946. She was unaccompanied and noted as a teacher. Her address was given as 85 London Road, Hailsham, Sussex and her onward address as 2 Campbell Street, Hobart, Tasmania. In 1949, Eileen was again noted as a passenger, on the Orion, bound for Melbourne and again, unaccompanied but giving her address this time as Glen View, Draethen. Although Eileen was noted as unaccompanied on both trips, records show that husband Donald was also at 2 Campbell Street in Hobart so we presume he travelled separately. Hubert’s Father died in 1950 and is buried with Hubert. It is said that he went to the crash site immediately after the fatal crash and, when the police were not looking, removed a part of the plane as a keepsake. We have some photos of Hubert and would be grateful for any further family info! Best. Mike Garland
Just to clarify one point, Hubert’s parents did not live in Bridge Cottage, which has never been known as Glen View, this is backed up by an auction advert for 1956, which describes the house as three bedrooms with two living rooms, Bridge Cottage was a 2bedroomed house up until the 1960’s when my parents purchased it. Having spoken to locals who remember the accident, Hubert’s family were living in the old Brewhouse in Draethen and would have clearly seen the plane hitting one of the Beech trees on the Michaelstone Road (still there today) before crashing into the bend in the river which was locally known as the whirlpools. A horse and cart was dispatched to the scene of the accident and the remains were taken to Plas Machen and laid out in the barn
Rhian, Welcome aboard, your discovery of the information here is a regular feature and happens weekly. The snag is that with one exception (Nicks) all the previous posters have not logged in for a very long time. Later today I will use the 'Start a Conversation' or private message option; you only get access to that after x5 posts. It all depends on whether they remain interested and the email address used remains in use.
