Date:	Monday 12 March 1945
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Avro Lancaster B.I
Owner/operator:	103 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	LM131
MSN:	PM-V
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near RAF Elsham Wolds, Elsham, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Elsham Wolds, Elsham, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Elsham Wolds, Elsham, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I LM131/PM-V of 103 Squadron, RAF destroyed 12 March 1945 when dived into the ground near Elsham, Lincolnshire. Only one crew fatality amongst the seven crew: all seven bailed out, but one of the crew died in a parachuting accident.

F/O B F Wright and crew were on their 4th operation which was a daylight attack on the German city of Dortmund. The Lancaster took off from RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire at 13:03 local time. During the attack, a bomb from an aircraft flying above hit LM131/PM-V and became lodged in the wing. The 103 Squadron Operational Record Book states as follows:

"V/103, P/O B F Wright was found to have been hit by a 250lb bomb which was still embedded in the wing. He was ordered to bail out his crew and head the aircraft out to sea. All landed safely except the Flight Engineer (Sgt Carter) who was killed through his parachute failing to open correctly.

It is reported the aircraft crashed near Elsham village so presumably the Lancaster must have spun or dived into the ground immediately after it had been abandoned, with all seven crew having left the aircraft.

Crew of Lancaster LM131:
Pilot Officer B F Wright RCAF
Sgt F E Carter RAFVR - sole fatality (see below)
Flight Sgt G R Tracy RCAF
Warrant Officer J Coulson RAFVR
Sgt B Heath RAFVR
Flight Sgt K Coleman RAFVR
Flight Sgt A J Bocinfuso RCAF

All bailed out safely with the exception of Sgt Francis Edward Carter - details below:

Sole Fatality:
Sgt Francis Edward Carter RAFVR, (Flight Engineer, Service Number 2221973, aged 19): Son of Walter and Ellen E Carter of Denton. Buried at Denton (St. Margaret) New Churchyard, Northamptonshire.

RAF Elsham Wolds is a former Royal Air Force station in England, which operated in the First World War and the Second World War. It is located just to the north east of the village of Elsham in north Lincolnshire

1. https://www.northlincsweb.net/RAFElshamWolds/html/12th_march_1945_-_103_squadron_raf_elsham_wolds_-_avro_lancaster.html
2. 103 Squadron Operational Record Book (Summary of Events for the period 1-31 March 1945): National Archives (PRO kew) File AIR 27/817/6 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8385484
3. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#mar
4. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=lm131
5. https://www.avro-lancaster.info/lm2series/lm131
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2949259/francis-edward-carter/
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173667880/francis-edward-carter
8. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/103772/
9. https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/newsletter2008_1.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._103_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Elsham_Wolds
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsham,_Lincolnshire

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Jan-2025 16:45	Dr. John Smith	Added