Date:	Saturday 24 February 1945
Time:	18:46 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	61 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	RF137
MSN:	QR-E
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Lancaster B.III RF137/QR-E of 61 Squadron, RAF: Damaged beyond repair when it exploded on the ground at RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire on 24th February 1945. Exploded at 18:46 on its dispersal pan at Skellingthorpe. Earlier in the day, RF137 had been involved in an aborted raid on the Dortmund-Ems canal, and it is probable that the accident occurred as the bomber was being de-bombed.

As far as is known, there were no reported fatalities or injuries to the aircrew of Lancaster RF137, but three LAC ground crew killed:

Leading Aircraftman Benjamin BURNELL aged 24 (1274214): Buried at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Hazlemere
Leading Aircraftman Claude Henry HIGGINS aged 41 (1519237): Buried at Carlton Cemetery, Carlton, Nottinghamshire
Leading Aircraftman Henry George WILSON (1081717): Buried at Cambridge City Cemeterey, Cambridge

L/AC Wilson is buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, his two colleagues were recovered by their respective families and taken to their home towns for burial. L/AC Higgins was aged 41. Eleven other airmen were injured in this accident. Another 61 Sqn Lancaster, SW277, was damaged beyond repair by the explosion. In addition, a further three Avro Lancasters of 61 Squadron - ME439, NG367 and NG490 - were severely damaged

Of the five aircraft involved, two were destroyed, and the other three were repaired:
RF137/QR-E: Destroyed 25 February 1945 as per the above
SW277/QR-A: Destroyed 25 February 1945 as per the above
ME439/QR-B: Damaged but repaired. Survived the war and struck off charge 14 November 1945
NG367/QR-P: Damaged but repaired. Survived the war and struck off charge 29 April 1947
NG490/QR-R: Damaged but repaired. Survived the war and struck off charge 10 January 1947

Brief history of Lancaster RF137:
Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract Acft/239
13-02-1945: Delivered to 61 Sqaudron, RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire as 'QR-E'
24-02-1945: Destroyed in an explosion at RAF Skellingthrope, Lincolnshire as per the above
08-03-1945: Struck off charge as Cat.E(GA) "Burnt".

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#feb
5. 61 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 June to 28 February 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/580/4 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8452685
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/February/1.html
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2706496/benjamin-burnell/:
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2702857/claude-henry-higgins/
10. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2651674/henry-george-wilson/
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._61_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Skellingthorpe#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Aug-2013 15:41	JINX	Added
26-Dec-2014 19:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
26-Dec-2014 19:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, ]
03-Nov-2018 09:42	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
27-Jan-2025 21:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
27-Jan-2025 22:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
17-Feb-2025 17:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]