Date:	Tuesday 3 April 1945
Time:	01:20 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF
Registration:	NG227
MSN:	BL-E
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
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 NG227/BL-E of 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF was written off (damaged beyond repair) in the early hours of 3 April 1945 due to undercarriage collapse on landing at RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire. No injuries were reported to the crew of seven.

On the night of 2nd/3rd April 1945 the crew of this 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) aircraft undertook a night cross country training flight. They took off from RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire at 20.25hrs. On return to RAF Lindholme at 01.20hrs the aircraft bounced as it made contact with the runway, the starboard undercarriage leg then broke on touching down again and it skidded to a halt badly damaged. The aircraft was not repaired and later struck off charge. The crew completed their training and were posted to 100 Squadron a few days after this incident and managed to get a couple of operational flights flown before the end of the war.

Pilot - Warrant Officer Stanley Frederick Rayner RAFVR (969568).
Flight Engineer - Flight Sergeant T H Best.
Navigator - Sergeant G F Scales.
Bomb Aimer - Sergeat W R Malvern.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner - Sergeant W A Wallbank
Air Gunner - Sergeant R C W Mann
Air Gunner - Sergeant J Mossman

Brief history of Lancaster NG227
Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract Acft/239
05-12-1944: Issued to 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF Lindholme, Thorne, South Yorkshire as 'BL-E'
03-04-1945: Cat.A(c) FA (Flyinjg Accident at RAF Lindholme as per the above
09-04-1945: Transferred to the charge of 60 MU RAF Rufforth, North Yorkshire for ROS (Repairs On Site)
16-04-1945: Re-Cat. E as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) as damaged beyond economic repair
20-04-1945: Struck off charge

1. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
2. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york45/ng227.html
3. 1656 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 30 April 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/613
4. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/NG200-NG290/mobile/index.html
5. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/April/prt1/1.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conversion_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Lindholme#Heavy_Conversion_Unit.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jan-2025 20:50	Dr. John Smith	Added