Rhos mountain monument
Last updated: 27 February 2008
Q: Win Jones from Rhos: "Does anyone know anything of the story of the 'monument' at the top of Rhos mountain? It's in the form of a pile of rocks set out in the shape of an aircraft. I once heard that it was laid down to commemorate the site of a WW2 air-crash, but is this story true or just a local legend?"
your comments
Larry Pritchard, Gresford
In the fifties it was a tradition that when you went through the mountain gate by Plas Drain you picked up a stone from the brook and carried it to the monument where you would place it. This kept the memory of an unknown pilot alive.
Wed Feb 27 09:40:51 2008
Ray Jones, Penycae ex Garth
I remember going to the mountain in Garth about 1940 after a spitfire crashed. I remember the pilot was eastern european and titled. He was killed, 2 of the lads from prospect farm (brothers) carried his body on a gate to Penycae. I had a piece of the fuselage for years but it went when my parents moved house when I was serving in the far east air force.
Fri Dec 1 08:45:01 2006
Mark Williams from Johnstown
The memorial was, as Eifion has said, put on Rhos Mountain in rememberance of the pilot who died there.
Mon Jan 10 09:42:36 2005
Mike Mitchell from Brighton
I was an evacuee from Liverpool and stayed at Pen-y-Cae. We used to walk to very end of the village onto the Ruabon Mountains looking for wimberries. Four years later I was called-up for the Army and as part of our training went on to the Ruabon Mountains to fire mortars. Does anyone know the location of the actual firing ranges (an OS map ref would do)?
Mon Oct 4 11:27:20 2004
Eifion Jones, Johnstown
The memorial or cross in stones was erected after a spitfire (serial number X4713) crashed there killing the pilot. It was on a training flight from Hawarden, date Thursday November 16, 1941. It was found by a local farmer on Friday December 3, nearly three weeks after the crash. On this moor, starting from Minera (City Arms) to Pen-y-cae Mountain, there are at least 15 other crash sites.
Thu Sep 23 10:35:59 2004
Mike Smith from Coedpoeth (originally)
According to the 'AA Book of Britain's Walks' (Walk 98, Wales, Eastern Moorlands) it marks the crash site of a Bristol Beaufighter. I don't have an exact location, but from the sketch map it appears to be near the centre of grid square SJ 24 47.
Thu Sep 23 10:35:43 2004
