Date:	Thursday 26 April 1945
Time:	16:55 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:	50 Squadron RAF
Registration:	PD339
MSN:	VN-J
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hardingstone Lodge Farm, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wing, Buckinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PD339/VN-J, 50 Squadron RAF: Written off (destroyed) 26 April 1945 when collided with a tree while trying to avoid cables while low flying on a ferry flight. Aircraft exploded in flames on impact. Crashed at 16:55 at Hardingstone Lodge Farm, Hardingstone, just over a mile South South-East from the centre of Northampton. Five of the seven crew were killed in the incident

From "For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998)":

"Thu 26 Apr 1945
BOMBER COMMAND
Ferry flight in connection with Operation EXODUS
50 Squadron, RAF (Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire - 5 Group)
Lancaster I PD339/VN-J took off (from RAF Wing, Buckinghamshire?) at about 16:40 and 15 minutes later south of Northampton hit a tree while turning steeply to avoid cables, crashed and burned out on Hardingstone Lodge Farm. Of the seven crew only the two RAF air gunners survived, injured. The four RNZAF airmen were buried on 2 May [1945] at Botley, just west of Oxford. Operation EXODUS involved a large-scale airlift to repatriate some 75,000 recently liberated British prisoners of war from Continental airfields to Britain. Lost on the first day of the 12-day operation, it is believed that PD339 was returning to its base [RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire] after transporting one of the first batches of PoWs from Brussels to Wing".

Crew:
Pilot: Flying Officer Cedric John Evans RNZAF NZ/425740 [Killed]
Flight Engineer: Sergeant Denis Harold Millichamp RAFVR 1817207 [Killed]
Navigator: Flight Sergeant Thomas Richard Thwaite RNZAF NZ/4215760 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer: Flight Sergeant Ralph Franklin Carrodus RNZAF NZ/425688 [Killed]
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Ian James Loveridge RNZAF NZ/425580 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sergeant E R McRae RAF [Injured]
Rear Gunner: Sergeant G A Fuller RAF [Injured]

The four RNZAF crew members were taken to Oxford (Botley) Cemetery at North Hinksey; Sgt Millichamp is buried in Arnold Cemetery near Nottingham.

Hardingstone is a village in Northamptonshire, England. It is on the southern edge of Northampton, and now forms a suburb of the town. It is about 1 mile (2 km) from the town centre.

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. "For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998)"
5. https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/general-category/19807-lancaster-crash-april-26th-1945-northampton#post190773
6. Bomber Command Losses Vol.6, 1945, page 171:
7. 50 Squadron, RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 30 April 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/489/8 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8451287
8. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PD338-PD444/mobile/index.html
9. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/April/prt3/3.html
10. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2436814/cedric-john-evans/
11. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2702735/denis-harold-millichamp/
12. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2437128/thomas-richard-thwaite/
13. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2436743/ralph-franklin-carrodus/
14. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2436940/ian-james-loveridge/
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._50_Squadron_RAF#Reformation_and_Second_World_War
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Wing
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardingstone

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Aug-2013 19:21	JINX	Added
30-Oct-2018 19:28	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, ]
19-Jan-2025 15:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]