Leicester

The aircraft was being flown on a transport flight from airfield B.44 at Poix, to the SW of Amiens, in France to Renfrew. It had stopped at Leicester East and took off from there during the morning of the 24th July and failed to arrive at its destination. On the 26th July the wreckage was discovered by a member of the RAF, who was on leave, when he and his girlfriend were walking on Bleaklow. The crash site was attended by the Mountain Rescue Team from No.28 MU at Hapur Hill and initially they struggled to track down the parent unit of the crew to report the crash to. The USAAF accident report recorded that the crash probably occurred around 0900 on the 24th while the aircraft was flying in cloud, which at the time varied between 500 and 1500ft.
Crew:
1st Lt George L. Johnson, pilot,
1st Lt Earl W. Burns, copilot,
1st Lt Beverly W. Izlar, navigator,
Sgt Theodore R. McCrocklin, crew chief,
Sgt Francis M. Maloney, radio operator,
Passengers:
Cpl Grover R. Alexander,
LAC John Dunlop Main.

The airplane, with Sergeant John James Campbell as pilot, took off to carry out a general test prior to an operational trip that night. The flight was to have been for about three hours’ duration. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were favorable. The cloud base was about 3,000 feet and visibility was over 5 miles. Two hours later the aircraft was seen flying at tree-top height near St. Denys Road, Evington. After circling for a few minutes it dived lightly and then levelled out. Immediately afterwards the port mainplane struck the roofs of three houses, demolishing the chimney stacks. A woman standing in the back garden of No. 26 St. Denys Road, was killed by falling debris. After hitting the houses it struck high trees about 40 yards distant and the tail unit and part of the bomb compartment were torn off. It then crashed into the adjoining field and distributed itself over a distance of 120 yards, killing the pilot and the 1st WOp/Air Gunner. Interviewed at the hospital next day, the 2nd WOp/Air Gunner., who was the sole survivor, said that a short while before the crash they had been flying round the telephone exchange at Uppingham. It was later learned that the pilot had, until two days before, been on leave, staying at St. Denys Road, Evington, with a lady friend, who was a telephonist employed at Uppingham Exchange.
Crew:
Sgt John James Campbell, pilot, †
Sgt Leslie Albert Carn, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. E. Kilduff.
The woman killed on the ground was Mrs. Maud Louisa Harris.

On approach to Leicester Airport, at a height of 1,000 feet, a propeller blade broke off. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a field. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.