Lancaster W4325 at Breighton airfield.
On the night of 12th / 13th March 1943 this 460 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational fligh to bomb Essen. They took off from Breighton at 19.44hrs and released their bomb load over the target area at 21.36hrs from 15,000 feet. A safe return to Breighton was made where they landed at 00.21hrs. On landing the pilot realised there was a problem with the tail wheel. An inspection found that the mounting was one that had not yet been modified as the original had a fault in manufacturing. This was a common problem in late 1942 and early 1943 with Lancaster tail wheel assembly mountings. Cat.Ac damage was the damage assessment.
Pilot - S/Ldr Richard Douglas Speare RAF (37696).
Navigator - Sgt Robert Marshall Hetherington RAAF (403242).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Ernest Booth RAFVR (1135252).
Bomb Aimer? - Sgt Frederick Sydney Ralph RAFVR (1255047).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Maxwell Alwyn Keddie RAAF (403110).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Laurence Yorke Wilkins RAFVR (947118).
Air Gunner - Sgt Noel Ryder Simpson RAAF (405504).
Second Pilot - Sgt John Howard Ball RAAF (408949).
W/Co Richard Speare was killed when Anson NL185 crashed at The Cloughs, Edale, Peak District on 23rd November 1945.
Lancaster W4325 was delivered as new to 460 Squadron on 21st October 1942 at Breighton airfield. As a result of damage sustained at Breighton on 31st January 1943 Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment that was logged on the AM Form 78 two days later. It was repaired on site and returned to 460 Squadron on 13th February 1943. The aircraft was then damaged again at Breighton on 13th March 1943 that again saw Cat.Ac/FA damage be the damage assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to 460 Squadron on 27th March 1943. The aircraft failed to return from Ops to Stettin on 20th April 1943 that saw all it's then crew killed. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 30th April 1943.