Date & Time: Jan 3, 1945 at 1603 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
NF908
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Leek
Staffordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1430LT for a fighter affiliation exercise with an alternative of a one hour cross country navigation exercise, should the weather have been deemed suitable. About 90 minutes into the flight with the sun almost set (sun-set was 16:03) the aircraft descended through low cloud and snow showers and flew into the eastern side of the Roaches a few miles from the Staffordshire town of Leek and was completely destroyed by fire. The wreckage was found six days later and all 7 crew members were killed.
Crew (467th Squadron):
F/O Walter Vernon Wilfred Allamby, pilot,
Sgt Norman Lees, flight engineer,
F/Lt Jack Ivan Pritchard, navigator,
F/Lt Geoffrey James Dunbar, blomb aimer,
F/Sgt Richard Emonson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Thomas Edward Harold Wright, air gunner,
F/Sgt Cleveland Charles Watson, air gunner.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrictnf908.htm