Amelia Erhart's historic landing in Carmarthenshire
Painting of Amelia Earhart’s ‘Friendship’ arriving in Burry Port by local Llanelli artist Ruth Lewis
On this day, around midday on June 18th, way back in 1928 there was a visit to our village, Pwll, that not only has gone down in history but is a source of local pride to many.
An aircraft, a little orange Fokker F7 named ‘Friendship,’ landed in a the Loughor Estuary just opposite the Crown Colliery – whose shafts ran out under the sea. It contained three people including the pioneering female aviator Amelia Earhart who had just become the first woman to cross the Atlantic by plane. She had not actually piloted due to the poor weather conditions since leaving Newfoundland over 20 hours and 2000 miles earlier. That task was undertaken by fellow travellers Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon who were more experienced at flying blind, depending on instruments alone.
The group had intended to continue to Southampton, where a civic reception awaited, but a combination of poor visibility due to fog and rapidly diminishing fuel precipitated the premature landing. After circling over the Llanelli coast at New Dock they backtracked to the little coastal mining village and tethered the plane to a floating buoy. Seeing a local, they asked where on earth they were but could not understand the accent of the reply. I can appreciate that being an Englishman in Wales. Saying both Llanelli and Pwll can take a while to master. A man paddled out to assist in his coracle but as he only spoke native welsh he was not much help. There are not just a few locals who claim that it was their grandmother or grandfather that first spotted the plane or spoke to the occupants as is often common as history and folklore merge in time.
After some gesticulating from helpful hands on the shore the pontoon equipped aircraft traversed the short distance westwards towards the harbour at Burry Port.
Amelia Earhart surrounded by crowds on coming ashore in Burry Port in 1928
As word spread, crowds soon gathered to both welcome the transatlantic visitors and bask in the excitement of seeing history unfold once it was known who they were. Soot covered miner Ron Bevan spent much of the day ferrying curious residents out to ‘Friendship’ for a closeup inspection and made a nice little extra income for his trouble too.
Amelia and her companions spent the night in Burry Port before ‘Friendship’ could be refuelled and they departed for Southampton the following day. I assume the drinks and sandwiches for the major reception there were still suitably fresh and the mayor had no other engagement.
There remains to this day no small rivalry and controversy between Pwll and Burry Port residents regarding claims to Amelia Earhart. Yes, she did literally come ashore in Burry Port. There you can find several points celebrating the fact including the plaque at the marina, the actual buoy that ‘Friendship’ was moored to and a larger monument in the town. The town receives quite a few international visitors who come to see where it all happened. You can even dine at Amelia’s Café at the small Pembrey Airport a few miles along the coast.
Buoy 10 to which Friendship moored now overlooks the marina at Burry Port.
Amelia Earhart commemoration at Burry Port Harbour
The Burry Port monument was unveiled in 1930 by Sir Arthur Whitton-Brown. He was a member of the first crew to fly non-stop across the Atlantic in 1919 and just happened to live in nearby Swansea. He had arrived in Burry Port to meet the intrepid Amelia back in 1928 but it is said that he could not find her in the throng that had descended on the town from far and wide. Sir Arthur missed her as they took off again just as he was being rowed out to them. They were not aware that the famous chap was coming. Oh well. I hope opening the monument was of some compensation to him.
The Amelia Earhart Monument in Burry Port
Despite all this, we in Pwll know the true historical landing occurred in our village and an official blue circle plaque installed on the Millennium Coastal Path adjacent to the touchdown marks the spot. Just think, had ‘Friendship’ not been forced to land here Amelia may have never visited this wonderful land and the beautiful coastline of Carmarthenshire in all her travels.
In an interview with a reporter from the now defunct Llanelli Mercury, Amelia said:
"How lovely your country is. The stillness and the silence brings back again the almost awesome feeling which came to me as, hour after hour, we pushed forward through the thick clouds and fog. It was as if we were alone in the world. To think that 48 hours ago I was in America and now I am in Wales!"
The official Amelia Earhart plaque on the Millennium Coastal Path in Pwll
Amelia accomplished the first solo flight for a woman across the Atlantic four years later in 1932, this time landing as planned in Northern Ireland. She mysteriously disappeared in the Pacific Ocean during a round the world expedition in 1937. She had been strong campaigner for equal rights and the advancement of women in all spheres of life. Her achievements, pioneering spirit and sense of adventure continue to inspire men and women alike. She also forever has the chance connection to a little village in South West Wales.