Lancaster ED358 at Burn airfield.
On the night of 30th / 31st January 1943 this 106 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Hamburg and took off from base of Syerston at 23.40hrs. The crew released their bomb load from 18,000 feet at 03.15hrs. On their return to Lincolnshire the crew were unable to locate Syerston because of poor visibility and deteriorating weather. The radio became unservicable on the return flight and the crew became lost. Flying just under cloud base at 800 feet the aircraft clipped a tree on high ground which tore off the starboard inner engine. Where this occurred is not yet known by me. The pilot managed to remain in control of the aircraft and despite fuel running low he managed to climb the aircraft to 3200 feet. With fuel running low and still being unable to locate an airfield the pilot ordered the crew to begin to abandon the aircraft. Four members of the crew baled out successfully but when the navigator attempted to leave the aircraft his parachute caught on the damaged aircraft hanging loose from the starboard wing. The flight engineer saw the problem and managed to haul him back inside leaving the pilot with little choice but to force land. A Darky signal was transmitted and searchlights on the ground were lit to direct the aircraft. The pilot then managed to land at Burn airfield at 07.10hrs but on touching down the aircraft swung off the runway after the starboard tyre burst. Where the aircraft lost it's starboard inner engine I have yet to learn.
x Pilot - P/O Albert Ernest Edmonds RAFVR (124159).
x Flight Engineer - Sgt John McCreadie RAFVR (545886).
x Navigator - P/O Robert Walton Niven RAFVR (125915).
x Bomb Aimer - F/O Donald Sinclair Margach RAFVR (115985). Baled out.
x Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Bruce Colin Shannon RCAF (R/107275). Baled out.
Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert George Clarke RAFVR (1600754). Baled out.
x Air Gunner - Sgt Daniel Breslin RAFVR (1561437). Baled out.
Robert Walton Niven was my father's cousin, Robert Niven's mother and my father's mother's mother were sisters. His name was one I had grown up with and the photos shown here are a couple we have in a family album. I vaguely remember my grandmother telling me that he had flown with the Dambuster men (but when the airmen were flying 106 Squadron not later with 617 Squadron). For service with 106 Squadron Robert Niven was awarded the DFC, Gazetted in July 1943. The first I knew of this flying accident at Burn, Yorkshire that involved Robert Niven was in June 2020. As far as my father remembers he last saw Robert's father around 1950 and since the deaths of older members of each family we lost contact. Robert Niven's parents were Alec and Elizabeth (nee Walton) Niven. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Walton was born in the Leamington Spa area of Warwickshire. We've no idea how she came to be in Ayrshire to meet her husband Alec Niven. Robert was born around 1912 in Ayr and the family later moved to Perth where his father was a grocer and provision merchant. As a young man Robert became a talented at rugby and cricket. He appears to have moved to Essex with his job. He married in Southend in 1941 and they had a daughter Judith who was a similar age to my father (though he does not ever remember meeting her).
McCreadie was posted to 1661 HCU in July 1943
Shannon to 29 OTU in July 1943
Niven to 17 OTU in july 43
Edmonds to 27 OTU in july 43
Margach to 14 OTU in May 43
Following service with 106 Squadron Herbert Clarke served with 17 OTU. He joined 617 Squadron from 17 OTU on 8th February 1944 and first flew operationally with them on 20th April 1944. He was killed flying Lancaster LM482 on the lesser known dam raid on the Kembs Dam on 7th October 1944.
Daniel Breslin was awarded the DFM for service with 106 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th June 1943. He had been posted from 106 Squadron to 1485 Flight on 26th May 1943. He was killed on 19th July 1943 when Wellington BK235 crashed on a training flight with 1485 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight near Appleby (Lincolnshire) while instructing.
Lancaster ED358 was delivered as new to 50 Squadron on 6th December 1942 but was swiftly transferred to 106 Squadron on 24th January 1943. As a result of the incident that ended at Burn on 31st January 1943 cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment that saw it repaired on site and returned to 106 Squadron on 27th March 1943. On 3rd August 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FB damage probably sustaining battle damage. A repair on site was made and it was returned to 106 Squadron on 21st August 1943. On 6th September 1943 it recieved a repair on site for a problem found on an inspection. It was then returned to 106 Squadron five days later. The aircraft failed to return from Ops to Leipzig on 21st October 1943 that saw all eight of it's then crew killed. The aircraft was struck off charge on 25th October 1943.