Date:	Saturday 14 April 1945
Time:	02:26
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	186 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	PB488
MSN:	AP-J
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	5
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
Destination airport:	RAF Stradishall, Suffolk

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PB488/AP-J, 186 Squadron RAF: Written off (destroyed) 14 April 1945. Took off from RAF Stradishall at 20:17 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 PB483/AP-X over RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. Five of the crew of Lancaster PB483 were killed, as were all seven of the crew of Lancaster PB488.

Crew:
Pilot: Flying Officer Donald Michael Roberts RAFVR 186931 (NCO:1238322: Commission Gazetted Tuesday 19 December, 1944) [Killed]: Commemorated Clewer (Vale Road) Churchyard Extension, Clewer, United Kingdom
2nd Pilot: Flight Sergeant George Benjamin Whalley RAFVR 1587289 [Killed]: Commemorated Killay (St. Hilary's) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Navigator: Flight Sergeant John Charles James RAFVR 1684956 [Killed]: Commemorated Manchester Southern Cemetery, United Kingdom
Bomb Aimer: Flight Sergeant Charles Crookes RAFVR 1398447 [Killed]: Commemorated Hither Green Cemetery, United Kingdom
Wireless Operator: Flying Officer William Edward Roberts RAFVR 176984 (NCO:1852694: Commission Gazetted Tuesday 03 October, 1944) [Killed]: Commemorated Haverhill Cemetery, United Kingdom
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sergeant Harold Brickell RAFVR 2225454 [Killed]: Commemorated Stockport Borough Cemetery, Stockport, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Rear Gunner: Sergeant Frederick James Pape RAFVR 2225575 [Killed]: Commemorated Halliwell (St. Peter) Churchyard, United Kingdom

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. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985)
5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139141467/charles-crookes
6. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13125.0
7. Biography of Pilot: https://www.suffolkfhs.co.uk/files/Haverhill%20Group/ROBERTS%20Donald%20Michael.pdf
8. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/223893
9. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/pbseries/pb488
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 13:58	JINX	Added
03-Jun-2016 13:11	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative, ]
03-Jun-2016 13:24	Red Dragon	Updated [Operator, ]
10-Nov-2018 21:32	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator, ]
13-Apr-2024 06:44	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
18-Feb-2025 13:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]