Lancaster KB811 at Croft airfield.
At 10.55hrs on 22nd March 1945 434 Squadron Lancaster KB832 swung on take off at Croft airfield for an operational flight on Hildesheim and the end result was that the undercarriage collapsed. It skidded to a halt but a fire developed in the port wing. It's pilot ordered his crew to escape the aircraft and all exited without injury. 434 Squadron and 431 Squadron Lancasters that were due to take off behind this crashed aircraft were halted. A fire fighting team began to fight the fire but once it became uncontrollable and started to spread, with four 1500lb bombs and a 4000lb "Cookie" bomb on board, the airfield was cleared of personnel. Aircraft that could be moved were taxied away but thirty seven minutes after the initial crash, at 11.30hrs, the 4000lb "Cookie" exploded. Lancaster KB811 of 431 Squadron was left on perimeter track and was badly damaged as a result of the massive explosion.
No crew.