During the evening of the 12th February 1944 the crew of this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit took off from Riccall airfield to undertake a night cross country training exercise. On their return to the general area of their base the crew contacted their base and were given the permission to join the circuit of the airfield to await their turn to land. They then circled in the circuit of what they thought was Riccall airfield but they appear to have got in a position slightly too far north without realising it and joined the circuit of Rufforth airfield. At 23.50hrs having received permission to land at Riccall they then went on to try and land at Rufforth but without Rufforth air control knowing. On touching down however the aircraft bounced and swung off the runway and then run into the windsock pole with the outer section of the port wing at a reasonably low speed. This collision caused the port outer engine to catch fire and for fuel to escape and add to the fire. Realising the aircraft was in danger most of the crew jumped out of the burning aircraft but before they had shut off all the engines; one engine was left running at full power and as the port wing was caught around the wing sock pole the aircraft ran itself in circles around the pole until the port undercarriage leg collapsed. The fire also spread to the fuselage and while five of the crew escaped injury, the rear gunner, who was unable to leave the aircraft for a time, received minor injuries due to inhaling fumes of the burning fuel. Unfortunately the bomb aimer was unable to get out of the aircraft before the fire trapped him and he died as a result of this accident.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Charles Carr RAFVR (659081), aged 32, of Govan, Glasgow. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (F/A/3).
Pilot - WO Joseph Charles Kemp RAF (805412).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William G Lawrie RAF.
Navigator - Sgt Moore.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Albert Lewis RAFVR (1324641).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Dale (2210202).
Air Gunner - Sgt David Charles Rhodes RAFVR (1892174).
Charles Carr's grave at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. He had earlier served in the Army.
Many of this crew were later posted to 35 Squadron. On 9th May 1944 they were flying Lancaster ME620 on Ops to bomb railway yards at Haine-St-Pierre when the aircraft crashed in Belgium. Sadly all apart from Sgt Lawrie were killed and are buried at Chievres Communal Cemetery. Sgt Lawrie was even more fortunate in that he also evaded capture.