Date:	Thursday 5 June 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/operator:	210 AFS RAF
Registration:	NC474
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Witham on the Hill, South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Cottesmore, Leicestershire (EGXJ)
Destination airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Vickers Wellington Mk. X NC474, 210 AFS (Advanced Flying School), RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 5 June 1947 when crashed at Witham on the Hill, South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. All three crew on board were killed.

The crew was performing a training sortie when the aircraft went out of control, nosed down, lost several pieces and partially disintegrated in the air before crashing in a field located at Witham on the Hill, South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire (at approximate co-ordinates: 52.73616°N 0.44102°W), 6 miles east of RAF Cottesmore. All three crew members were killed.

Crew of Wellington NC474:
Vincent Murray (Pilot), RAF Service Number 655319, killed on active service 5/6/1947, buried at New Hall Lane Cemetery, Preston, Lancashire
Robert Morrow (Navigator), RAF Service Number 657072, killed on active service 5/6/1947, buried at St. Germain Churchyard, Thurlby, Lincolnshire
David John Barker (Signaller), RAF VR Service Number 1852871, aged 22, killed on active service 5/6/1947, buried at Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge

Cause: The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. Nevertheless, the loss of control might be the result of poor weather conditions or a structural or a mechanical failure. There was also the possibility of the lack of recent flying experience of some of the crew.

Navigator Robert Morrow was shot down 28/7/42 as part of the crew of Short Stirling W7509, and was detained as a PoW in Stalg Luft 344 Lansdorf until May 1945.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.64. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.307
3. 201 AFS ORB for the period 1-4-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1989/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7162797
4. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-1949-incident-logs.php#1947
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-619-wellington-x-near-raf-cottesmore-3-killed
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/29/W2383: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578229
7. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1947
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2359196/morrow,-robert/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2699699/murray,-vincent/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2650900/barker,-david-john/
11. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=30792
12. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?24347-470605-Unaccounted-Airmen-05-06-1947&p=141459#post141459
13. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59984224/vincent-murray
14. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32378589/david-john-barker
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witham_on_the_Hill

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
26-Apr-2017 17:22	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
26-Apr-2017 18:18	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Oct-2018 13:24	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
25-Nov-2019 00:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
27-Nov-2019 11:50	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator]
14-May-2023 20:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator]]