At 22.10hrs on 2nd March 1943 this 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft landed at Lindholme but used the full length of the runway to land. The pilot was instructed to use the quick circuit taxy track after landing but overshot the start of this. Instead of then taxying back up the runway he cut across the airfield to try and rejoin the quick taxi track but in doing so collided with the No.1481 Flight Whitley N1477 that was parked but unlit. Lancaster W4834 sustained minor Cat.Ac damage while the Whitley sustained Cat.B damage. The crew of the Lancaster were posted to 101 Squadron on 8th March 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Ian Lloyd Edwards RAAF (408984).
Flight Engineer - Sgt R G Hamilton.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Eric Milton McAlister RAAF (415170).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Harold William Rhodes Bakewell RAAF (403492).
Navigator - Sgt Brian Clapham Reid RAAF (409224).
Air Gunner - P/O Anthony Gerald Badman RAFVR (137121).
Air Gunner - Sgt Ivan David Maxwell RAAF (407947).
On 12th December 1944 F/O Reid DFC was killed when Lancaster PB542 of 460 Squadron failed to return from Essen, he is buried in the Reichwald Forest War Cemetery.
Lancaster W4834 was built to contract B.69275/40 by Metropolitan Vickers Ltd. at Trafford Park and was awaiting collection in November 1942. It was flown to A.V.Row Ltd on 4th December 1942 and was taken on charge by 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme as new on 22nd December 1942. As a result of minor damage at Lindholme on 2nd March 1943 Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damaged assessment and it was repaired on site. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it was then immediately transferred to 50 Squadron at Scampton. Other records then state that the aircraft was destroyed on 15th March 1943 when a bomb fell from the aircraft at Scampton and exploded. W4834's AM Form 78 states that Cat.E2 damage was the damage assessment on 15th March 1943 and it was written off. The AM Form 78 then continues to add additional history to Lancaster W4834. I strongly suspect that the aircraft that blew up on 15th March 1943 was not W4834 and that information has been logged in error on this aircraft's AM Form 78. The AM Form 78 states that W4834 was returned to 1656 H.C.U. use on 29th September 1943 which is probably after repair from damage at Lindholme on 17th August 1943. The aircraft was transferred to 1667 HCU on 1st October 1943 and on 3rd October 1943 it's AM Form 78 states that it suffered a serious flying accident that saw Cat.E2/FA damage write it off. This final incident is not recorded in William Chorley's Bomber Command losses book. No details are yet known surrounding what happened.
Back to monthly table.