Date:	Friday 26 January 1945
Time:	16:36 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk X
Owner/operator:	431 (Iroquois) Squadron, RCAF
Registration:	KB803
MSN:	SE-N
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Yafforth,1 mile West of Northallerton, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Croft, Richmond, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Croft, Richmond, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. MK. X KB803/SE-N of 431 (Iroquois) Squadron, RCAF was written off (damaged beyond repair) in a forced landing at Yafforth,1 mile West of Northallerton, North Yorkshire on the afternoon of 26 January 1945.

Prior to this incident the weather had cleared a little from the previous day where no flying was done from Croft airfield. The 26th January 1945 began cloudy with snow showers in the morning, visibility was poor becoming moderate to good later in the day. Once the weather improved some flying practice was undertaken by a 431 Squadron RCAF crew. During the late afternoon the crew of this Lancaster managed to begin a training flight that involved practicing shutting down engines and feathering propellers.

During the exercise, something went wrong and most of the aircraft's engines failed. Losing altitude, the pilot made a forced landing at 16.36hrs around half a mile south of Yafforth, North Yorkshire into a snow-covered field. The aircraft was badly damaged but the crew of eight escaped serious injury.

Only the pilot's name is confirmed. The 431 Squadron ORB scribe was lazy in early 1945 and did not list all crew names other than the pilot. The crew listed below are the last crew who he flew operationally when the ORB scribe bothered to list it in full. It is therefore presumed (but not 100% confirmed) that they were the crew that were also involved in this incident):

Pilot - Flying Officer John Frederick Morton RCAF (J/29163).
Navigator - Flying Officer A W Monahan RCAF (J/37181)*
Bomb Aimer - Pilot Officer J N Fogarty RCAF (J/90231)*
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner - Pilot Officer L F Heppenstall RCAF (J/92261)*
Air Gunner - Sergeant L D Bea RCAF (R/256051)*
Air Gunner - Sergeant W F Atherley RCAF (R/250686)*
Flight Engineer - Pilot Officer Albert Frederick James Gower RAFVR (185490)*

*Unconfirmed/unrecorded - plus one other crew member (Name unknown). F/O John Morton was awarded the DFC for service with 431 Squadron RCAF, which was Gazetted on 25th May 1945. During January 1945 he was nearing the end of his tour of duty.

Yafforth is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Northallerton. The village lies on the B6271 road between Northallerton and the village of Scorton

RAF Croft is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 4.6 miles (7.4 km) south of Darlington, County Durham, England and 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Richmond, North Yorkshire. The site is also known locally as Croft Aerodrome or Neasham. Constructed at the same time as many other airfields, it was originally named RAF Dalton-on-Tees after the nearby village Dalton-on-Tees. However, it was quickly renamed RAF Croft (after Croft-on-Tees) after initial confusion with the also newly opened RAF Dalton near Thirsk, just 25 miles (40 km) away.

Brief History of Lancaster B. Mk.X KB803
31-08-1944: Issued to 20 MU RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire
27-09-1944: Issued to 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF at RAF Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham as NA-N
18-10-1944: Issued to 431 (Iroquois) Squadron, RCAF at RAF Croft, North Yorkshire as SE-N
26-01-1945: FACE (Flying Accident Cat.E (Provisional)) at Yafforth, North Yorkshire as per the above
03-02-1945: Deemed damaged beyond economic repair and struck off charge

1. The Lancaster File (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1985)
2. 431 Squadron RCAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 January 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1858/26 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8404748
3. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/KB756-KB827/mobile/index.html
4. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/January/prt2/2.html
5. https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/lancavro.html#indexkb803
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Croft
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowbirds_(aerobatic_team)#Second_World_War
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yafforth

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Jan-2025 21:32	Dr. John Smith	Added
20-Jan-2025 23:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]