Lancaster ED321 damaged by flak, landed at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st April 1943 this 101 Squadron Lancaster took off from Holme on Spalding Moor airfield at 21.40hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Stettin. The crew released their bomb load at 01.25hrs from 10,000 feet and saw their bomb load exploded in the dock area. The aircraft received damage to the port wing and flaps and to the fuselage under the mid-upper turret. Despite the damage the crew flew the aircraft back to Holme on Spalding Moor and landed at 05.35hrs.
Pilot - Pilot - Sgt James Ronald Browning RNZAF (413376).
Flight Engineer - Sgt James Hornby Stretton RAFVR (949546).
Observer - Sgt Richard Allison RAFVR (953183).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Martin David Davis RCAF (R/140082).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Sidney Laidler Granville RAFVR (1091377).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leonard Charles Hogben RAFVR (1393187).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Ronald James Rays RAAF (420270).
F/Sgt Rays was killed on 23rd September 1943 when Lancaster JA977 failed to return from Ops to Mannheim. He is buried in Choloy Cemetery, France.
On 5th May 1943 this crew crashed Lancaster W4863 at Scorton airfield and the first four named above were killed.
Lancaster ED321 was built to contract B.69274/40 by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd. at Chadderton and was taken on charge by 101 Squadron at Holme on Spalding Moor on 1st December 1942. As a result of the damage battle damage sustained on 18th January 1943 Cat.A/FB appears to have been the initial damage assessment although this was upgraded to Cat.Ac/FB on 26th January 1943. It was repaired on site and was returned to 101 Squadron charge on 27th February 1943 but was re-coded "SR-E". On 21st April 1943 it received flak damage on Ops to Stettin that saw Cat.A(c)/FB be the damage assessment. It received damage to the port wing and flaps and to the fuselage under the mid-upper turret. The repair on site commenced on 26th April 1943 and it was returned to 101 Squadron on 22nd May 1943 but they had moved to Ludford Magna in the weeks it was unservicable. On 13th october 1943 it was transferred to 625 Squadron at Kelstern. On 4th November 1943 it failed to return from Osp to Dusseldorf that saw its seven man crew killed. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 30th November 1943 having clocked up a total of just over 371 flying hours.