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| Date: | Friday 29 December 1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 514 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PD325 |
| MSN: | JI- |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Ground Incident |
Ground Incident RAF Waterbeach
It was a hazy morning with a severe winter frost laying across the ground, fourteen aircraft were
allocated for operations whilst for those non-operational crews it would be H2S and G.H. training. Out of the dispersal, the operational aircraft were being loaded with their bombs and prepared for the forthcoming flight, when suddenly one of the bombs being loaded on to Lancaster PD325
‘JI-L2’ fell and exploded. The resultant explosion completely destroyed the aircraft and severely damaged seven others including NG141 which was parked alongside. The blast, heard as far away as Mildenhall some 23 miles away, had repercussions right across the airfield, damaging windows and sending aircraft parts far and wide. Nine members of the ground crew attending to the aircraft also died, five of them simply ‘disappeared’ as did a tractor along with its portable generator.
Following the incident, which was thought to have been caused by an ‘old stock’ bomb, the Station Commander cancelled operations for the day in case time delayed bombs on other aircraft
exploded. The bomb disposal teams were brought in to remove those that were left remaining in the aircraft bomb bays. New Year at RAF Waterbeach would be very solemn in 1944.
(Aviation Trails)
Radar Mechanic: 1870102 Leading Aircraftman Derrick Gordon Bichard - Southgate Cemetery
Section H.B. Grave 661.
Flight Mechanic: 1639785 Leading Aircraftman Samuel Bolton - Runnymede Memorial Panel 241.
Armament Assistant: 1893614 Aircraftman 2nd Class Donald Victor Brewer - Cambridge City Cemetery Grave 15119.
Flight Mechanic: 1128796 Leading Aircraftman Ronald Davies MiD - Runnymede Memorial Panel 241.
Radar Mechanic: 1863381 Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey Graham Hayden- Cambridge City Cemetery Grave 15118.
Electrician: 1429200 Aircraftman 1st Class Harry George Leach - Runnymede Memorial Panel 243.
Flight Mechanic: 1621436 Leading Aircraftman Laurence Smales - Runnymede Memorial Panel 242.
Flight Mechanic: 1169390 Leading Aircraftman Frederick Charles Watson - Runnymede Memorial Panel 242.
Armourer: 552023 Corporal John Westgarth - Runnymede Memorial Panel 241.
Four other ground crew were also injured. Names are not known.
Sources:
Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PD325
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
CWGC
Aviation Trails
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Aug-2013 19:15 | JINX | Added |
| 18-Oct-2018 14:38 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 29-Dec-2020 08:41 | Anon. | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 17-Aug-2023 12:23 | Rob Davis | Updated |
| 20-Dec-2024 17:36 | Anon. | Updated [Cn, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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