Date:	Tuesday 11 November 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	115 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TW647
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Little Cressingham, near Stanford, Breckland, Norfolk. -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
TW647 was one of six Lancasters of 115 Squadron taking part in a fighter affiliation exercise on November 11 1947. A Hornet, PX284, of 19 Squadron, making an attack on the rear Lancaster, misjudged the breakaway and struck this aircraft, which was flying second to last on the starboard side. Part of the Hornet's port wing broke off and it fell away out of control, crashing at Little Cressingham, near Stamford, Breckland, Norfolk.

The Lancaster, TW647, went into a shallow dive, which steadily increased. The nose broke off behind the pilot's seat, throwing him clear and he opened his parachute. The other seven men aboard were killed, as was the Hornet pilot.

The pilot of Lancaster TW647 was Flying Officer P E Clarke, who was thrown clear and successfully parachuted to earth.

Crew of Lancaster TW647:
*Flight Lieutenant Harold Owen Scatchard, Service Number 53733, aged 27. Buried at Scartho Road Cemetery, Grimsby, Lincolnshire
*Gunner II, John Moore, Service Number 1903432, aged 28. Buried at Carnmoney Cemetery, near Glengormley, County Antrim
*Navigator II, David Alvin Lloyd Edward, Service Number 1656102, aged 23. Buried at Llangadog Cemetery, Carmarthenshire
*Signaller II, Alick Charles Richard Emery, Service Number 1295723, aged 26. Buried at St. Peter's Church Cemetery, Selsey, Sussex
*Gunner II, Geoffrey Alderson Allan, Service Number 2206054, aged 22. Buried at St. Margaret & St. James Churchyard, Long Marton, near Appleby, Westmorland
*Squadron Leader Peter Harry Humphries, DFC, Service Number 84961, aged 27.(flying as an observer for this exercise). Cremated at Bournemouth Crematorium, Bournemouth, Hampshire
*Flying Officer William Henry Gillespie, Service Number 166966, aged 23. Buried at Pinner Cemetery, Pinner, Middlesex.
*Flying Officer P E Clarke, Pilot, Service Number 57536: sole survivor, bailed out and parachuted to earth safely, as per the above.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.53. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 53)
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 139)
4. http://bbm.org.uk/HumphreysPH.htm
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?10471-Aircrash-11th-November-1947-Hornet-and-Lancaster-Lincoln&p=60970#post60970
6. ORB 115 Sqdn RAF (Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) 1-30 November 1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2443/19 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420881
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2417599/scatchard,-harold-owen/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2931195/moore,-john/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2965422/edwards,-david-alvin-lloyd/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2723841/emery,-alick-charles-richard/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2696057/allan,-geoffrey-alderson/
12. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2691048/humphreys,-peter-harry/
13. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2734647/gillespie,-william-henry/
14. https://35squadron.wordpress.com/2017/05/21/lancaster-b1-fe-tw647-11111947/
15. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-683-lancaster-b1-buckenham-7-killed
16. https://wartimeni.com/person/john-moore/
17. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=492755134237937&story_fbid=1072720309574747
18. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59958610/harold-owen-scatchard
19. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/aeroplane-monthly-photograph.75152/#post-806750

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
23-May-2010 10:40	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature]
29-Mar-2011 14:23	Brett361975	Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2013 17:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Source]
10-Mar-2013 17:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total occupants, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Narrative]
04-Apr-2013 17:16	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
09-Feb-2015 16:50	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative]
28-Nov-2019 17:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source]
28-Nov-2019 21:23	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Operator]
28-Nov-2019 23:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
29-Nov-2019 00:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
29-Nov-2019 00:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]