Lancaster JB532 at Melbourne airfield.

On the night of 26th / 27th November 1943 the crew of this 630 Squadron aircraft were one of twenty detailed to undertake an operational flight to bomb Berlin. They took off from East Kirkby airfield at 17.30hrs. On their return to Northern England thick fog was effecting flying and getting all the operational aircraft down safely was difficult. Many of the Lincolnshire-based squadrons diverted their aircraft north to Yorkshire to try and land. The crew must have been flying in a wide circle at a safe altitude with many other aircraft all trying to obtain permission to land somewhere. Just before 01.30hrs the crew of JB532 received instructions to try and land at Holme on Spalding Moor so they would have let down but they did not have enough fuel to reach Holme on Spalding Moor. After radioing the fuel situation that received an instruction to climb to a safe height and then abandon the aircraft. As soon as that instruction was received the pilot of JB532 spotted the bright sodium lighting at Melbourne airfield so attempted to land there. The Lancaster was not lined up with any runway and while the pilot managed to set down reasonably well it could not be stopped before it collided with some form of obstruction. Minor damage resulted to the aircraft.

Pilot - P/O Reginald Cartwright RAFVR (157429).

Sgt J J Venton

F/Sgt J M Crawford

F/Sgt E Harman

F/Sgt R E Broadbent

Sgt T M Davidson

F/Sgt E J Price