Date:	Monday 15 January 1945
Time:	16:25 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF
Registration:	ND757
MSN:	BL-W
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I ND757/BL-W of 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire was written off (damaged beyond repair) follwing a landing accident on 15 January 1945.

At 11.35hrs on 15th January 1945 the crew of this 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Lindholme airfield to undertake a cross-country training flight. On their return to base, they landed at 16.25hrs but their speed was too fast, the aircraft overshot the end of the runway and ran into the overshoot area. The undercarriage collapsed before it came to a halt and it was badly damaged.

An investigation into how the accident occurred ruled that the pilot should not have been sent on the exercise as a solo pilot as he had a mere six hours flying the Lancaster to his name at that point. A total of nine aircrew were on board at the time of this incident but only the pilot's name is confirmed.

Crew of Lancaster B. Mk. I ND757
Pilot - Flight Sergeant Robert Erksine Plante RAAF (8651)
Sergeant Eric Smails RAFVR (2219167)*
Flight Sergeant Layton Challander Barrett RAAF (428116)*
Sergeant John Mackie RAFVR (1571947)*
Sergeant Jack Edward Ralph RAFVR (1867776)*
Sergeant Alister George Ross MacFarlane RAFVR (1894129)*
Sergeant Ronald Harold Howard Side RAFVR (1629469)*

*Unconfirmed. Plus two other crew members whose identities have not yet been confirmed

Flight Sergeant Robert Erksine Plante RAAF and his crew were killed three weeks later on 6th February 1945 when Lancaster LM175 did not return from a training exercise and was believed lost at sea; presumably some or all were with him at the time of this earlier mishap.

Brief History of Lancaster ND757:
18-03-1944: Delivered to the RAF at 32 MU RAF St.Athan, Glamorgan
16-03-1944: Issued to 166 Sqaudron, RAF
28-04-1944; Reported as Cat.E (Missing) on operations (later cancelled when the aircraft was located and found)
07-10-1944: To 153 Squadron, RAF
18-11-1944: To 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF Lindholme
15-01-1945: Cat.B(FA) - Category B Flying Accident as per the above
27-01-1945: Re-Cat.E (FACE - Category E Flying Accident) and struck off charge.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
3. 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 January 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/613
4. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york45/nd757.html
5. RAF 11 Base, HQ Lindholme, later 71 Base, Lindholme (UK) (Record of Events for the period 1 July 1943 to 31 October 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/850/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161774
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/ND743-ND799/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/January/prt1/1.html
8. https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/plante-robert-erskine-8651/
9. http://www.airpowerarchaeology.com/view_person.asp?id=860786
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/249838461/robert-erskine-plante
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conversion_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Lindholme#Heavy_Conversion_Unit

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Jan-2025 19:58	Dr. John Smith	Added