Lancaster NN777 on Dishforth airfield.

During the evening of 14th March 1945 the crew of this 424 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Zweibrucken and took off from Skipton on Swale airfield at 16.33hrs. They bombed the target at 20.16hrs and made the return flight to the skies over Yorkshire. The crew of this aircraft reported a 500lb bomb being hung up inside the bomb bay. While flying in the circuit of Skipton on Swale with nine other 424 Squadron aircraft the engines began to cut out. Height could not be maintained so the pilot made a hurried forced landing at 23.45hrs on Dishforth airfield. The undercarriage collapsed and the wireless operator and the bomb aimer sustained injuries. It was found that the engines had cut out due to the fuel supplying them running out through the fuel control cocks being mis-managed.

The photograph shown above is said to show Lancaster NN777 after it's crash. With a Halifax in the background there is a suggestion that the landing was made on Dishforth airfield. I would make another suggestion that this photograph could have been taken after it was taken back to Dishforth from a field near the airfield and is still sat on the caterpiller tracks that were used to take it back there.

Pilot - P/O Robert Andrew Robertson McInroy RCAF (J/90555).

Bomb Aimer - F/O R W Walker RCAF (J/40771). Injured.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO2 B W Pearson RCAF (R/181620). Injured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt E Walker RCAF (R/201448).

Navigator - Sgt D W Cotte RCAF (R/205123).

Air Gunner - Sgt E J Phillips RCAF (R/118908).

Air Gunner - Sgt A Frost RCAF.