Lancaster DS614 at Carnaby airfield.
On 9th November 1944 the crew of this 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was to have been flown on a training flight for what appears to have been the trainee crew's first flight in a Lancaster. A pilot flying instructor was to fly with them and was at the controls on take off at Balderton at around 12.40hrs, as the aircraft picked up speed and left the ground the trainee flight engineer raised the undercarriage too soon and without instruction from the instructor. Unfortunately this damaged the undercarriage and it would not then operate correctly. The instructor flew the aircraft to Carnaby where a much safer belly landing could be made so an hour after taking off it belly landed. The aircraft sustained damage and after inspection it deemed beyond repair.
Pilot (Instructor) - F/O James McCubbin DFC RAFVR (149212).
Pilot (Trainee) - Sgt Leslie Wroe RAFVR (1685868).
Five Crew - Names unknown.