Date:	Thursday 10 May 1945
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:	300 (Ziemi Mazowieckiej) Squadron RAF
Registration:	PB730
MSN:	BH-R
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 31
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	RAF Wing, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	B.58 Brussels-Mesbroek, Belgium
Destination airport:	RAF Wing, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B Mk. I PB730/BH-R, 300 (Ziemi Mazowieckiej) Squadron RAF: Written off (destroyed) 10 May 1945 when crashed at RAF Wing, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Swung on landing & undercarriage collapsed. Aircraft was engaged in 'Operation Exodus' - the repatriation to the UK of allied POWs. PB730 Took off from Brussels-Mesbroek at 13:48 hours with a complement of 24 ex-Prisoners of War as passengers, but veered off the runway on landing at RAF Wing, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and was damaged beyond repair. No injuries reported among the 7 crew members and 24 passengers.

Crew:
Flight Sergeant Grygiewicz PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Margula PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Miterski PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Dzius PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Roman PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Jeronim PAF (Safe)
Sergeant Sternowicz PAF (Safe)

In April and May 1945, RAF Wing was given orders to become a key gateway for Operation Exodus, which involved the repatriation of allied prisoners of war from the European theatre. One thousand two hundred and sixty nine flights landed at RAF Wing, bringing back nearly 33,000 allied prisoners of war from over 21 nations. The main aircraft landing were Lancasters, Stirlings and Dakotas, with the operational records recording them coming in so regularly that the landing aircraft were unable to clear the runway before the next one arrived. A plaque commemorating the event now sits on the main airfield memorial

Brief History of Lancaster PB730
Built by A V Roe & Co Ltd at Woodford Cheshire to Contract Acft/1087/C.4(a)
27-10-1944; Notified as awating collection, and taken on charge
31-10-1944: Delivered to 300 (Ziemi Mazowieckiej) Squadron RAF Faldingworth as 'BH-R'
10-05-1945: FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) at RAF Wing Buckinghamshire as per the above
16-05-1945: Struck off charge as Cat.E(FA)

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999.
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World war 1945 Page 175.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985).
4. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
5. 300 (Polish) Sqn RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 May 1945: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1658/38 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8399758
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PB642-PB736/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/May/prt2/2.html
8. https://ww2history.eu/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/lancaster/19951-PB7301945-05-09.html
9. https://www.1001hobbies.co.uk/decals-for-aircraft/33779-techmod-tm72106-decals-avro-lancaster-mk-i-iii-300polishsquadron-3.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._300_Polish_Bomber_Squadron#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Wing

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Aug-2013 20:12	JINX	Added
19-Feb-2015 18:01	Jixon	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ]
03-Jun-2016 21:01	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
17-Feb-2018 17:24	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, ]
08-Oct-2018 21:53	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
08-Oct-2018 21:54	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, ]
05-Feb-2020 20:25	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
10-Nov-2024 16:46	Rob Davis	Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ]
27-Feb-2025 14:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
27-Feb-2025 14:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, ]