Date:	Tuesday 22 January 1952
Time:	night
Type:	Avro Lincoln B.2
Owner/operator:	49 Sqn RAF
Registration:	SX923
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Black Drove, Fincham, near RAF Marham, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Marham, Norfolk (KNF/EGYM)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Lincoln SX923: Written off (destroyed): Flew into the ground on GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) to RAF Marham, Norfolk. Per the official report: " On the night of 22nd January 1952, Avro Lincoln SX923 of 49 Sqn was diverted to Marham from it’s home airfield at Upwood. While circling to land, the aircraft crashed near the Downham Market road at Black Drove, Fincham. The wreckage was spread over a wide area. Rescuers managed to drag the only survivor, Air Gunner Sergeant John F Green clear, who was seriously injured."

As stated above five of the six crew were killed

F/Sgt (781020B) Boleslaw Wejman (pilot) RAF: killed
F/Sgt (1457278) Robert Erddyn Griffith (RAF) - killed
Sgt (1569283) William Pickering (Nav.) RAF- killed
Sgt (579107) Frederick Robert Edwards (Flight Engineer) RAF : killed
F/O (196342) Moni Lall Chatterjee (WOp) RAF - killed
Sgt John F. "Johnny" GROOM (Air Gunner) RAF - survived, but injured

It is believed that the crash was caused when the starboard inner engine failed when the aircraft had full flaps applied for the final stages of the approach to Runway 06.

The 49 Squadron Association's record into the incident (see link #5) reads as follows:

"On the night of 22nd January 1952, Avro Lincoln SX923 of 49 Sqn was diverted to Marham from its home airfield at Upwood. While circling to land, the aircraft crashed near the Downham Market road at Black Drove, Fincham. The wreckage was spread over a wide area. Rescuers managed to drag the only survivor, Sgt J F Groom clear who was seriously injured. F/O Chatterjee (one of those killed) was attached to the squadron for two weeks training from No.81 Reserve Centre.

It is believed that the crash was caused when the starboard inner engine failed when the aircraft had full flaps applied for the final stages of the approach to Runway 06".

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.125 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.217
4. 49 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for January 1951: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/2617/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8424501
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-694-lincoln-b2-raf-marham-5-killed
6. http://www.visitwestnorfolk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/1390-101-Tornado-Trail-WEB.pdf
7. https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Wejman_FNU
8. https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Griffiths_FNU
9. https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Pickering_FNU
10. https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Edwards_FNU.html
11. https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Groome_JF

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
10-Mar-2013 20:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Apr-2013 19:06	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location]
16-Oct-2018 18:38	JINX	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Narrative]
23-Feb-2021 02:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Feb-2021 02:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]