Mr Pleasance said the cast used humour to tell the story

In 1942 the RAF was losing 100 planes a month to a Luftwaffe aircraft known as the Butcher Bird, until one landed by mistake at an airfield near Llanelli.

British intelligence was desperate to get its hands on the Focke-Wulf 190.

Then on one July day, a German pilot got lost over the Bristol Channel and landed at RAF Pembrey by mistake.

One used a flare gun as there was not a real gun on the airfield and the other was armed with teapot Robert Pleasance

The pilot, Atnen Veber, who was pursuing Spitfires on raids near Cherbourg, tried to blow up the Focke-Wulf 190 super fighter, but failed.

The RAF had planned a commando raid to steal one from France, but the windfall at Pembrey and two later aircraft captures in Kent, meant British experts could test and analyse the fighter to give the Spitfire supremacy in the air again.

The story forms the basis of the play The Butcher Bird, written produced and performed by the Prop-Wash Theatre company.

Co-founder Robert Pleasance said: "The pilot had got into a dogfight and lost his way."

He said when he landed at the airfield he was apprehended by two men based there.

The captured pilot had been involved in a dogfight

"One used a flare gun as there was not a real gun on the airfield and the other was armed with a teapot," he said.

"Once they had it they were able to take it apart and look for weaknesses."

Mr Pleasance said the story was told partly through monologue and partly through a dramatic recreation of events.

He said the story lent it itself to humour but added: "We hope this play will give people a chance to begin to see the many hidden stories and heroes we have in Wales."