Lancaster DS649 at East Moor airfield.
On 4th October 1943 this 1679 Heavy Conversion Unit Lancaster was being taxied around East Moor airfield at 20.45hrs following landing after a forty five minute when it was travelling too fast and ran off the runway at the Strensall Road end of the airfield. It went through the boundary hedge and barbed wire and when it's main undercarriage wheels dropped into the ditch that was across this end of the airfield one of the undercarriage legs possibly collasped. One engine received Cat.B damage and was almost certainly changed. The aircraft received minor Cat.Ac damage, it was soon repaired and a few days later it would crash at Wiganthorpe with another crew on board who sadly were all killed.
Pilot - F/Lt William Watson Strachan DFC RCAF (J/9863).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Joseph Gilliard RAF (616713).
Navigator - P/O Maurice Allan Martin RCAF (J/18871).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Nick John Baron RCAF (J/21045).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O Robert Claire Stuart RCAF (J/18402).
Mid Upper Gunner - 1Lt Albert L Rorke USAAF (O-886242).
Rear Gunner - P/O Howard Murray Stewart RCAF (J/19066).
Sadly this crew would all be killed a few months later when Halifax LK761 crashed near Huby in February 1944. All except 1st Lt Rorke USAAF are buried at Stonefall Cemetery, Harrogate.
Lancaster DS649 was built to contract ACFT/239 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton. It was taken on charge by 426 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 3rd June 1942 when the unit re-equipped with Lancaster MkII's. The aircraft saw little service with 426 Squadron who were not operational on Lancaster MkII's so the aircraft was used by 1679 Heavy Conversion Flight at East Moor to convert 426 Squadron crews. It was still with 1679 Heavy Conversion Flight and while it suffered this Cat.Ac/FA mishap on 4th October 1943 damage at East Moor on the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it was still with 426 Squadron at this date. The aircraft was repaired and was servicable on 23rd October 1943. It was returned to 426 Squadron (loaned to 1679 H.C.Flight). It was still with 1679 H.C.Flight when it was destroyed on 6th November 1943 in a crash at Rose Cottage Farm, Terrington (a loss detailed on this website here). Cat.E2/FA damage was the assessment following this serious accident. It was struck off charge on 15th November 1943.