Lancaster DS607 at Topcliffe airfield.
On the night of 6th / 7th April 1944 the crew of this 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was undertaking a night training exercise, after taking off from Wombleton at 19.35hrs the crew carried out the majority of the exercise but the aircraft suffered hydraulic failure. Low cloud at Wombleton saw the crew be diverted to land at Topcliffe. The crew attempted to land at Topcliffe airfield just after 01.00hrs having used the manual system for lowering the flaps and the undercarriage. Unfortunately the flaps would not lower properly and the crew could only get them to lower to around ten degrees, this would not slow the aircraft properly. Because of this the pilot opted to abandon the landing and fly a circuit of the airfield to try again. The aircraft was only slightly above ground level at the time and after crossing the edge of the airfield the port wheel struck an un-used gun emplacement, this tore off the port wheel and undercarriage leg but the pilot was able to keep the aircraft in the air. After flying another circuit of the airfield the pilot ground looped the aircraft on Topcliffe airfield and it came to rest badly damaged on or close to Runway 14/32. The unit record book makes only brief mention of the incident stating that at 01.20hrs "DS607 came to grief at Topcliffe and was donated to the scrap heap".
Pilot - P/O William Joseph McIntyre RCAF (J/19933).
Six crew - Names unknown.
William McIntyre was posted to 434 Squadron soon after this incident and completed a Tour with them. He was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 20th February 1945.
Lancaster DS607 was built by Armstrong Whitworth to contract 239/41 and was taken on charge as new by 61 Squadron on 21st November 1942. The aircraft was transferred to 115 Squadron on 16th March 1943 and suffered Cat.Ac/FA damage in a mishap on 7th April 1943. The aircraft was repaired on site and returned to 115 Squadron on 23rd April 1943. On paper the aircraft was transferred to 1679 Conversion Flight on 12th June 1943 but appears to have been with the unit earlier because on 5th June 1943 it was slightly damaged at East Moor which saw a Cat.A/FA damage assessment. The date of 12th June 1943 may have been when it was returned to 1679 Conversion Flight charge after repair. On 19th July 1943 it was slightly damaged on landing at East Moor resulting in a further Cat.A/FA damage assessment. Again it was repaired on site. On 7th September 1943 it sustained some form of mishap that recorded a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment. It was returned to 1679 Conversion Flight on 18th September 1943. Any transfer to 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78 and I have not spotted the arrival of the aircraft being mentioned in the 1666 H.C.U. orb. As a result of the crash at Topcliffe on 7th April 1944 Cat.B/FA damage was the initial damage assessment but this was soon upgraded to Re.Cat.E and it was struck off charge on 18th April 1944.