The aircraft crashed 6 minutes after takeoff near Binbrook village. Finn gives the date as 1st, serial as JB Lostbombers does not list it although refers to it.
Airborne 2nd Jan from Grimsby for Berlin. Took fire and crashed at whaphole Drove, 8 miles SE of Spalding. Skelton KIA. At hrs the aircraft bounced on touchdown and during Cpt Edwards' recovery actions, the left wing dropped, damaging the flying controls.
Cpt Edwards elected to try to go around again, but caught the undercarriage on the airfield perimeter fence, causing it to crash through a hedge and cartwheel across the road into another hedge.
During the flight, oil problems were experienced first with the starboard outer, and then whilst on approach with the port outer, which then burst into flames. Unable to reach the runway, the aircraft force-landed in a field near the airfield under the approach at Airborne 7th Jan from Dunholme Lodge. On return to base on completion of the training exercise the throttles jammed and while trying to go round again, the Lancaster crashed into a small spinney some 2 miles SW of the airfield.
Sgt Welch is buried in Hull Eastern Cemetery. Mercer, Sgt H. Purvis, Sgt L. Baker, Sgt W. Manley, Sgt W. Welch KIA. On landing with the pupil pilot in control, the aircraft swung to a degree that the instructor could not correct and the undercarriage collapsed. During the flight, the weather deteriorated to such a degree that the crew were ordered to divert to another airfield. By midnight, the weather was so poor that the crew were unable to ascertain their own position, and at the aircraft was abandoned, being almost out of fuel.
