Lancaster B.1 PA281 at Skeffling.

On 12th December 1945 this 101 Squadron aircraft ook off from Binbrook to undertake what appears to have been a cross country training flight. While flying over possibly or just off the East Riding of Yorkshire the aircraft's engines began to fail to the extent that all the engines eventually stopped ninety minutes into the flight. I make the assumption the aircraft could have been over either the North Sea or The Humber when this occurred because the pilot managed to glide the aircraft toward Skeffling. At 17.01hrs a fast belly landing was made at Skeffling and it was badly damaged. It was found that the aircraft had completely run out of fuel. There were five on board at the time, probably pilot, flight engineer, navigator, wireless operator and bomb aimer. By this stage air gunners were probably not carried.

Prior to this flight the fuel level warning lights were reported as not working but had not been repaired, ground crew had also not filled one of the fuel tanks orior to this flight. The pilot and flight engineer did not then check the fuel level state prior to taking off from Binbrook prior to this flight that resulted in the forced landing at Skeffling. The aircraft only ever flew with 101 Squadron, being taken on charge on 16th March 1945, sustaining Cat.E2/FA damage following the crash landing at Skeffling and being struck off charge on 2nd January 1946.

Pilot - F/Lt Denham William Russell-Smith RAFVR (150608).

Four others - Names unknown.