Date:	Saturday 14 April 1945
Time:	02:26
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	186 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	PB483
MSN:	AP-X
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	7
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
Destination airport:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PB483/AP-X: Written off (destroyed) 14 April 1945. Took off from RAF Stradishall at 20:10 on 13 April 1945 to bomb the U-Boat yards at Keil, Germany. On return to base collided at 02:26 14 April 1945 in the circuit with PB488/AP-J over RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. Five of the crew of Lancaster PB483 were killed, as were all seven of the crew of Lancaster PB488. Four were killed in the collision, one (Flt/Sgt Bartlett) died later of injuries sustained

Crew:
Pilot: Flying Officer T P Burson RNZAF [Injured]
Flight Engineer: Sergeant Ernest Gunner RAFVR 1898913 [Killed]: Commemorated at Mortlake Cemetery, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Navigator: Flight Sergeant Francis Michael Hale RAFVR 1808291 [Killed]: Commemorated at London Road Cemetery, Salisbury, Wiltshire Unitary Authority
Bomb Aimer: Flight Sergeant William Kenvyn "Ken" Jack Bartlett RAFVR 917435 [Fatal Injury] Commemorated at Durrington Cemetery, Worthing Borough, West Sussex, England
Wireless Operator: Sergeant J A Kean RAF [Injured]
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sergeant Robert Cunningham Russell RAFVR 1606323 [Killed]: Commemorated at Horley (St. Bartholomew) New Churchyard, Horley, Surrey, United Kingdom
Rear Gunner: Sergeant John Vidal Somers RAFVR 1589666 [Killed] Haverhill Cemetery St Edmundsbury Borough Suffolk, England

The death of Flight Sergeant Bartlett was reported at the time in the local press (Worthing Herald - Friday 20 April 1945)

"BOMBER PILOT DIES AFTER LANDING COLLISION

A 25 year-old Worthing airman who, for 3 years has been on experimental and operational flights as an R.A.F observer, died this week following a flying accident. He was F/Sergt. William Kenvyn Bartlett, eldest son of Mr and Mrs W. Bartlett, of 233, South Farm-road.

Sgt. Bartlett volunteered for the R.A.F in December, 1939. The first part of his training was in England, the latter half in South Africa.

The fatality occurred when he was landing a British bomber after an operational flight. His plane and another bomber collided. He died two days later at a Midlands Hospital.

Before the war he was employed by a Worthing glass-blowing and glazing firm. His youngest brother, Alan, is also a F/Sgt. in the R.A.F., now serving in India."

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 162.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
5. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13125.0
6. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13107.0
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40722432/william_kenvyn_jack-bartlett
8. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/201475/
9. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/pbseries/pb483
10. 186 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the Period 1 to 30 April 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1145/23 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8391779
11. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.80): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PB474-PB560/mobile/index.html
12. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/February/prt2/2.html
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._186_Squadron_RAF
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Stradishall#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Aug-2013 13:56	JINX	Added
02-Jun-2016 18:48	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, ]
03-Jun-2016 13:23	Red Dragon	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
10-Nov-2018 21:33	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator, ]
13-Apr-2024 06:43	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
18-Feb-2025 02:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]