Lancaster L7533 at Thornaby airfield.
On 13th February 1942 a 44 Squadron aircraft was being flown on a training flight with the crew being joined by a passenger working for a company connected with the war effort. The aircraft made a landing at Thornaby. While taking off later in the day, at 15.53hrs, on the short runway and towards a housing estate an engine of the aircraft cut out. The pilot reduced the power of the engines to try and stop the aircraft but it ran into barbed wire on the boundary sustaining minor damage.
Pilot - Acting F/Lt Arthur John Garwell DFM RAFVR (65503).
Crew - Names unknown.
Lancaster L7533 was built to contract B69274/40 by A.V.Roe Ltd. at Woodford and was awaiting collection on 30th October 1941. It appears to have been allotted to 35 Squadron but they did not fly Lancasters in 1941 so it was never issued to them. After a short period of preparation for service at M.U. it was taken on charge by 44 Squadron on 28th December 1941. This aircraft was only the eighth Lancaster to enter service and what appears to have been one of the few to be taken on charge by 44 Squadron at Waddington on 28th December 1941. The unit spent a couple of months converting from Hampdens to Lancasters and commenced operations with Lancasters in March 1942. Following the mishap at Thornaby on 13th February 1942 minor Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. It was returned to 44 Squadron on 28th March 1942 but was re-coded "KM-J". On 9th May 1942 it was lost without trace while undertaking an operational flight to bomb Warnemunde and it's then crew were recorded as missing. The aircraft was struck off charge on 10th May 1942.
Arthur Garwell was born in Hexham in 1920. Earlier in the war he served with 83 Squadron and was awarded the DFM for service with them, Gazetted on 25th April 1941. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th April 1941 and would rise to F/O on 9th April 1942 and F/Lt a further year later. Following a Tour with 83 Squadron he spent time instructing at 25 OTU at Finningley before beginning a second tour with 44 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC for service with 44 Squadron, Gazetted on 5th June 1942 but by this date he was already a PoW. On 17th April 1942 he was the pilot of Lancaster R5510 with 44 Squadron flying operationally to Augsburg when the Lancaster was badly damaged by flak over the target. On fire he made a belly landing near the target area and while three died he and the rest of his crew survived. He died in 1969.