On the night of 26th / 27th November 1943 the crew of this 103 Squadron took off from Elsham Wolds at 17.07hrs to bomb Berlin. On their return to Northern England thick fog was effecting visibility and numerous aircraft returning from Ops struggled to find airfields to land. Many of the Lincolnshire based squadrons diverted their aircraft to Yorkshire to find airfields there to land. A number of 103 Squadron's Lancasters managed to get down safely at Croft airfield, this particular Lancaster landed at 01.40hrs. The aircraft was later declared beyond repair, I have not located information to state why it was damaged, it doesn't appear to have made a crash landing at Croft but may have sustained battle damage during the course of the night.
Pilot - W/O Norman Harry Frost RAFVR (1575803).
Flight Engineer? - Sgt Jack Woodward RAF (520106).
Navigator - Sgt Lincoln Harry Joseph Wise RAFVR (1586056).
Wireless Operator? - Sgt R Huddart (Possibly Sgt Richard Huddart RAFVR (1089157)).
Bomb Aimer? - P/O John William Lowrie RAFVR (158987).
Air Gunner? - Sgt A Burdett
Air Gunner - Sgt C H Seldon RAFVR (1587674).
Jack Woodward was flying with another crew on 25th / 26th February 1944 in 103 Squadron Lancaster ND417 on Ops to Augsburg when the aircraft was badly damaged by flak and then a night-fighter and set on fire. He and six others baled out and became PoWs while his then pilot force landed the aircraft in Luxembourg and would evade capture. F/Sgt Woodward saw out the war as a PoW.
Lincoln Wise received the DFM for service with 103 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 11th August 1944 and rose to F/O six months later. He married in the Belper area of Derbyshire in mid-1944.
Norman Frost was awarded the DFC for his actions on 3rd / 4th December 1943 while flying with 103 Squadron, the DFC was Gazetted on 4th February 1944. The citation reads.. "This officer was the pilot of an aircraft detailed for a sortie one night in December, 1943. On the outward flight the aircraft was attacked by a fighter and repeatedly hit. One engine was put out of action and the elevators and the ailerons were damaged; 2 of the crew were wounded. The Bomber went into a steep dive. Considerable height was lost but, by a strenuous effort, Warrant Officer Frost, assisted by the flight engineer, succeeded in regaining control. It was impossible to regain height and the aircraft was extremely difficult to control. Nevertheless, Warrant Officer Frost went on to release his bombs on a target and afterwards flew the damaged aircraft to an airfield where he landed it safely with the undercarriage retracted. In trying circumstances, Warrant Officer Frost displayed skill, courage and perseverance of a high order." The landing was made at Woodbridge. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 4th February 1944 rising to F/O six months later. He remained in the RAF after the war, retiring in April 1968 and died in Oxford in 2000.
John William Lowrie received a commission on 13th September 1943 and was awarded the DFC for service with 103 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944. The citation for his DFC reads.. "Pilot Officer Lowrie was posted to No 103 Squadron on 5th August 1943, since when he has completed 25 sorties comprising 187.02 hours on his first operational tour. This officer has constantly displayed an intense enthusiasm for his work, which he has always carried out with thoroughness and outstanding competence. He has allowed nothing, not even the fiercest enemy opposition to distract him from concentrating his great weight of bombs at the core of the enemy target and effecting its destruction. The efficiency and calm purposefullness which he has brought to bear to achieve his objective have sprung from a courage and fortitude which have stood as a magnificent example and inspiration to his crew and to the whole Squadron. His coolness in the teeth of determined enemy fighter attacks and anti-aircraft fire, has enabled him to disregard the ever-present hazards and to engage the enemy more closely." He was killed flying with 69 Squadron on 23rd January 1945 when the Wellington NC607 in which he was flying in failed to return from a recconaisance flight over the Massniel area of Holland. He was twenty two years old and is buried in Roermond (Kapel in 't Zand) Roman Catholic Cemetery.