Ronald James Binham – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 81 Operational Training Unit

Pilot Officer Ronald James Binham – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 81 Operational Training Unit

Early Life and Family Background

Ronald James Binham was born in 1922 in Swansea, the son of Harry Binham and Florence May Collings, who later married in 1928 at Cardiff. Little survives regarding Ronald’s early years, but the surviving records show a young man who came of age during the difficult interwar period and entered wartime service at a time when the Royal Air Force was expanding rapidly to meet the demands of global conflict.

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Service

Ronald enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, serving with No. 81 Operational Training Unit, and attained the rank of Pilot Officer (Observer). Operational Training Units were essential to the RAF’s wartime structure, preparing aircrew for front‑line service through intensive instruction in navigation, bombing, wireless operation, and gunnery. These units operated under demanding conditions, and the risks faced by trainees were considerable, with accidents tragically common during the height of the war.

The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V

The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V was a twin‑engined medium bomber that had formed a key part of the RAF’s early wartime force. Although increasingly outdated by 1943, the Whitley remained widely used for training, its rugged construction and long range making it suitable for the demanding instructional flights undertaken by the OTUs. It was in one of these aircraft, Whitley Mk V LA766, that Ronald undertook his final flight.

The Crash of 11 January 1943

On the night of 11 January 1943, Whitley LA766 departed RAF Tilstock, Whitchurch, Shropshire, on a routine training mission. At approximately 8.45 p.m., the aircraft crashed onto a hillside between Bwlchgwyn and Rhydtalog, close to the Bwlchgwyn war memorial, around 1.5 km from the village. The crash site lies at GPS coordinates 53.08082, -3.1194, on exposed upland terrain that was difficult to navigate at night and prone to sudden changes in weather.

No distress signal was received, and the aircraft was destroyed on impact, killing all eight crew members. Although the precise cause of the accident was never conclusively established, the circumstances suggest a combination of operational difficulties typical of wartime training flights. Adverse weather, mechanical failure, or navigational error may all have contributed. The loss occurred during a period when the RAF faced a high rate of training accidents, reflecting the intense operational pressures placed upon aircrews and aircraft alike.

The Crew of Whitley LA766

All eight men aboard were killed and were later buried in cemeteries across the United Kingdom. Their names and resting places are:

Pilot Officer (Observer) Ronald James Binham, RAFVR – Wrexham Cemetery, Wrexham Flight Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Robert Smeaton – Wrexham Cemetery, Wrexham Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.) William Henry Stewart – Wrexham Cemetery, Wrexham Warrant Officer (Pilot) David Rozell Roberts – Wrexham Cemetery, Wrexham Sergeant (Nav.) Alexander Taylor Strachan – Seafield Cemetery and Crematorium, Edinburgh Sergeant Cyril Edgar Aaron – City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Newham, London Sergeant David Blackburn Lister – Golcar Baptist Churchyard, Golcar, West Yorkshire Sergeant Michael John Buckle – York Cemetery, York, North Yorkshire

These eight men trained together and died together, their loss felt deeply by their families, their communities, and the wider RAF. Their names stand among the many who gave their lives not in combat, but in the essential and perilous work of preparing for operational service.

Press Reports and Funeral

South Wales Daily Post

Western Mail

Ronald’s death was reported in both the Western Mail and the South Wales Daily Post, which informed the Swansea community of the tragedy and recorded the sorrow felt by those who knew him. The reports reflected the heavy toll that wartime training accidents inflicted on families across Wales, often with little detail available and no survivors to recount the final moments.

Ronald James Binham
Wrexham Cemetery credit - findagrave

Commemoration

Pilot Officer Ronald James Binham is buried at Wrexham Cemetery, where his grave is maintained in perpetuity. He is remembered with honour by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and his name endures among the many young airmen whose service and sacrifice formed the backbone of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.