Lancaster NN815 at Lindholme airfield.
On 25th March 1945 the crew of this 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft were undertaking a training flight involving practicing flying and landing on three engines. Ten minutes into the exercise, at 15.43hrs, the aircraft was about to land at Lindholme when a ground controller gave the crew a red signal warning them not to land, the pilot noticed this signal at the last moment and tried to make the aircraft climb away to fly another circuit of the airfield. The pilot applied power to climb away and overshoot but the aircraft swung out of his control and struck the ground just off the western boundary of the airfield and crashed. The bomb aimer received the most serious injuries and was admitted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Pilot (Instructor) - F/O Walter Fred McElwain RNZAF (421383).
Pilot (Trainee) - P/O Gilbert McGraw Henderson RNZAF (39745).
Bomb Aimer - F/O V Pilkington. Injured.
? - Sgt McCall.
? - F/O Payne.
? - F/Sgt Baxendall / Baxendale.
? - F/Sgt Wilson.
? - F/O Harrison.
I have not yet traced where this trainee crew went to within No.5 Group after completing the course at 1656 H.C.U.
Walter McElwain was awarded the DFC for service with 166 Squadron, Gazetted on 27th March 1945; two days after this incident at Lindholme.