Manchester L7478 near Bawtry.
On 10th February 1942 this 25 O.T.U. aircraft was to have been flown on a training flight with a reasonably large crew. Just before 14.30hrs the aircraft took off. from reading the subsequent casualty file I would suggest that the aircraft had taken off from Bircotes airfield which was a satellite airfield of Finningley where 25 O.T.U. had their main base but no accident documentation actually states where the aircraft had taken off from. After taking off and climbing to 1700 feet the aircraft swung very hard to the right without the pilot having any input on the controls. The pilot at the controls did not appreciate that starboard engine was failing and instead of feathering the engine he attempted to counteract the swing by applying full rudder control. In trying to make a landing at Bawtry airfield the undercarriage and flaps were lowered but this increased the swing to starboard which the pilot was unable to control. The aircraft lost height and crashed a mile and a half north of Bawtry sadly killing one member of the crew. The pilot's inexperience was found to be the cause of the accident.
Manchester L7478 was built to contract 648770/37/C4(c) by A.V.Roe & Co.Ltd. at Chadderton and was received by 38 MU on 15th November 1941. It was taken on charge by 25 O.T.U. at Finningley on 23rd December 1941 and as a result of the crash near Bawtry on 10th February 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was struck off charge on 16th February 1942 and in total it had flown just nineteen hours in the air since new.
Pilot - P/O Elwood Raymond Seibold RCAF (J/5794). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick King RAFVR (1127538), aged 26, of Newcastle on Tyne. Cremated Newcastle on Tyne (West Road).
Pilot (U/T) - Sgt Albert Winston Armstrong RCAF (R/62668).
Pilot (U/T) - Sgt Frank Hartley RAFVR (1115803).
Observer - Sgt William Chesin Howell RCAF (R/78468).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (or Bomb Aimer?) - Sgt Thomas Amwyl Jeffries RAFVR (1109614).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (or Bomb Aimer?) - Sgt John Jesse Cadd RAFVR (1187011).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Gerald Glassbrook RAF (649748).
Elwood Seibold was from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. On 6th September 1944 his older brother F/O Herbert Stanley Seibold RCAF (J/35190) was reported as missing while serving with 423 Squadron when flying in Sunderland ML823 which crashed into the sea off Bloody Foreland, Ireland. His body was never found and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
William Howell had already survived bailing out of 25 O.T.U. Anson AW939 on 22nd November 1941 over Rothwell, West Yorkshire. Of the eight involved in the crash of Lancaster L7478 near Bawtry he was the only one to survive his flying days.
Thomas Jeffries was killed on 3rd September 1942 flying in 61 Squadron Lancaster W4136 that failed to return from an operational flight. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
John Cadd was killed on 16th January 1943 flying in 61 Squadron Lancaster ED332 on an operational flight. He is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Seibold, Armstrong, Howell and Glassbrook were part of the same crew and were later posted to 61 Squadron. All but Howell were sadly killed on 3rd June 1942 flying Ops to Essen in Lancaster R5562. Those killed were initially buried near Dusseldorf but are now buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Frank Hartley survived the war but was killed on 17th September 1949 while flying 3 F.T.S. Harvard FS735 which crashed near Upwood. He is buried at Bury Cemetery, Huntingtonshire (next to Upwood airfield).