Date:	Tuesday 17 April 1945
Time:	17:45 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	57 Squadron RAF
Registration:	PB360
MSN:	DX-N
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PB360/DN-N, 57 Squadron RAF destroyed by fire and explosion while parked at the dispersal at RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire. Of the seven crew on board, four were killed in the explosion.

On 17 April 1945, near the end of the Second World War, a 57 Squadron Lancaster was being loaded with bombs when a fully armed 1000lb (450kg) bomb was unintentionally dropped onto the tarmac. Because the bomb had had its fuse inserted it detonated, setting off the rest of the Lancaster's bombload.

At approximately 17:45, whilst being prepared for operations, a fire started beneath the aircraft. A series of explosions soon followed which wrecked the aircraft and five others parked nearby. A further fourteen aircraft were less badly damaged. No 3 hangar, then in use for the storage of incendiaries, was also seriously damaged, as was Hagnaby Grange Farm. Before the situation could be brought under control, fire appliances had to be summoned from Spilsby and Coningsby and it was not until the following morning that the area was deemed safe.

The other five Lancasters of 57 Squadron that were destroyed in this explosion were LM673/DX-U, ND472/DX-I, NN765/DX-X, PD347/DX-P and RF195/DX-F

In addition fourteen other Lancasters of 57 Sqaudron - ED371, LL940, LM114, LM582, LM186, NG225, NG325, NN769, NX580, PB784, PD253, PD282, RF202, and SW256 - were damaged

The explosion site was to the south-east of the aerodrome, at coordinates 53.135425, 0.013384.

For their outstanding actions in the face of grave danger, F/L MacBean, the armaments officer, received an MBE, whilst George Medals were awarded to F/O Grebby, the Station Fire Officer, and F/O Gott. BEMs were awarded to Cpl Forster, Cpl Friswell and LAC Brown. It is also reported that there were some civilian injuries, but no fatal casualties are in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission civilian data.

Ground Crew: Leading Aircraftman F Brown BEM RAF [Injured]
Ground Crew: Sergeant Roy Ellis Davies RAFVR 2205997 [Killed]: Commemorated Leigh Cemetery, United Kingdom
Ground Crew: Corporal Thomas Stanley Dixon RAFVR 1009063 [Killed]: Commemorated Marple (All Saints) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Ground Crew: Corporal R Forster BEM RAF [Injured]
Ground Crew: Corporal L Friswell BEM RAF [Injured]
Ground Crew: Corporal George William Johnson RAFVR 1018928 [Killed]; Commemorated Wombwell Cemetery, Barnsley, South Yorkshire United Kingdom
Ground Crew: Flight Lieutenant J MacBean MBE RAF
Ground Crew: Leading Aircraftman Arnold Price RAFVR 1048598 [Killed: Commemorated Manchester Southern Cemetery, Manchester, United Kingdom
Ground Crew: Leading Aircraftman W Thaxton RAF [Injured]
Station Personnel: Flying Officer John Aidan Hastings (Jack) Gott MBE GM RAFVR 154963] (NCO:1804507 Commission Gazetted: Tuesday 11 April, 1944)
Station Personnel: Flying Officer Courtenay Cecil Grebby MBE GM RAFVR 133289 [Injured] (Commission Gazetted: Friday 12 February, 1943)

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. Bruce B Halpenny. Action Stations - Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1981. ISBN 0-85059-484-7.
5, 57 Squadron Operational Record Book (record of Events for the period 1 to 30 April 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/540/8 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8452132
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78):https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PB306-PB406/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/April/prt2/2.html
8. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#apr
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2411190/roy-ellis-davies/
10. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2735830/thomas-stanley-dixon/
11. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2414517/george-william-johnson/
12. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2403513/arnold-price/
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._57_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_East_Kirkby#Operations

They Also Gave Their All © Colin Murray (WMR-92348) They Also Gave Their All © Beryl Blackhall (WMR-92348)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Aug-2013 16:59	JINX	Added
01-Nov-2018 15:06	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator, ]
03-Jul-2021 06:10	Keith Mills	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, ]
19-Jan-2025 13:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
19-Jan-2025 13:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]
18-Feb-2025 16:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, ]