Lancaster III RF259 at Leeming airfield.

During the evening of 14th February 1946 this 429 Squadron aircraft was to be flown on a local flying exercise. As the aircraft was in the process of taking off at Leeming airfield at 18.04hrs the flight engineer mistook the what the pilot was telling him on the intercom and retracted the undercarriage legs before the aircraft was airborne. The undercarriage then folded and the aircraft skidded to a halt on it's belly. The damage was assessed as being Cat.E/FA and the aircraft was struck off charge some days later.

Pilot - F/Lt Jack McLean Snelgrove DFC RCAF (J/18668)

Five further crew - Names unknown.