Rocks in the Clouds: High-Ground Aircraft Crashes of South Wales - Softcover

During World War II, many pilots of both Allied and Axis aircraft met their fate in the peaks of the high mountains across Wales. This book covers the various such aircraft crash sites found in the area south of the latitude of Brecon, which from east to west includes the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, to south of Llandoverty, and the Presceli Hills in the west. Only one Luftwaffe aircraft landed in this area, a Heinkel 111 which struck barrage balloon cables at Newport, with only the pilot Oblt. Harry Wappler surviving. He later escaped from prison camp and stole a Royal Air Force aircraft. Historian Hugh Trivett tells his remarkable story. Elsewhere, a Dornier 217 was shot down by RAF fighters off Port Eynon during the last major raid on Swansea in February 1943. Years later, historian and diver Steve Jones found pieces of the wreckage on the beach at low water and followed the trail into deep water where he located the main site. He traced relatives of the pilot and visited them in Germany. The book tells these and many other fascinating stories and visits many interesting crash sites. Appendices include a full list of high-ground military losses and memorials to those who perished, as well as a bibliography.

Edward Doylerush has written previous titles on high-ground aircraft crashes in Wales, including No Landing Place, Fallen Eagles, and No Landing Place 2.