Lancaster DS656 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 10th June 1944 this 408 Squadron aircraft burst the port main tyre on take off from Linton on Ouse for a night time cross country training flight. The pilot was able to get the aircraft into the air and headed to Strensall Bombing Range where practice bombs were jettisoned. At 22.30hrs he was ordered to make a belly landing on return to Linton on Ouse on the grass alongside runway No.22. It was found that small stones had been left on the runway by contractors working there and these had contributed to the bursting of the tyre on take off. The aircraft received damage that deemed it beyond repair. The crew escaped injury. The pilot had been posted in to 408 Squadron on 26th May 1944 to captain a "headless" crew (their original pilot F/Sgt J R Hughes RCAF (R/149936) was made a PoW on 31st March 1944 and needed replacing).
Pilot - WO2 Robert Grant Harlow RCAF (R/151623).
Navigator - F/Sgt L G Anderson RCAF (R/158475).
Air Bomber - Sgt E Kvapilik RCAF (R/61345).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt James Arthur Lawrenson RAFVR (1454834).
Air Gunner - Sgt H H Baker RCAF (R/198861).
Air Gunner - Sgt D W Willson RCAF (R/190511).
Flight Engineer - Sgt D J Etheridge RAFVR (1381438).
Robert Harlow flew his first operational flight (as a second pilot) on 16th June 1944 and his first as captain on 23rd June 1944. He was later awarded the DFC for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th February 1945.