Date:	Sunday 7 January 1945
Time:	11:26 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk II
Owner/operator:	1668 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF
Registration:	LL636
MSN:	H4-G
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire
Destination airport:	RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B Mk. II LL636/H4-G, 1668 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 7 January 1945 when cause fire on the ground at RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire.

The Lancaster was airborne at 10:10hrs for a training sortie, and, at the completion of the sortie, Lancaster LL636 landed safely back at RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire. However, as 11:26hrs, while taxying back to dispersal, the starboard inner engine caught fire and the aircraft sustained significant fire damage.

Although the damage was initially classified as "Cat. B (Repairable)", the aircraft was not repaired, and subsequently struck off charge as "damaged beyond economic repair".

Crew:
Flying Officer G J George, RAAF (Instructor Pilot)
Pilot Officer J K Watts, RAAF (Pilot Under Training)
Plus, four other crew - names not known at present.

RAF Bottesford is a former Royal Air Force station located on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire county border, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) north west of Grantham, Lincolnshire and 7.6 miles (12.2 km) south of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.

Brief history of Lancaster LL636:
Built by Armstrong-Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry to Contract Acft/239
12-11-1943: Issued to 432 Squadron, RCAF at RAF East Moor
18-01-1944: Cat. A(c) damage in operational service. ROS (Repairs on Site) by A V Roe & Co Lincoln
04-02-1944: Repairs completed, returned to 432 Squadron, RCAF at RAF East Moor
31-08-1944: Transferred to 1668 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire
07-01-1945: Cat.B(FA) damage in flying accident at RAF Bottesford, Leicestershire as per the above
30-03-1945: Re-CatE(FA) as "damaged beyond economic repair" and struck off charge

NOTE: While the official record (as per the above) lists Lancaster LL636 as being with 432 Squadron, RCAF between 12-11-1943 and 31-08-1944, another account (see link #2) lists LL636 as "EQ-G" of 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF during 1944.

Quote: "Lancaster LL636 “G” for “Goose flew on with the 408 Squadron till she was retired from combat when the squadron traded in their well-used and beloved Lancaster Mk II’s for newer Halifax B Mk Ill’s in September 1944. “Miss Kingsville” went to No. 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit (H.C.U.) and flew on, training new aircrew how to handle a heavy bomber. She was lost in a crash on January 7th, 1945".

This would imply that - despite the official record - Lancaster LL636 was operated by 408 (Goose) Squadron, RCAF at RAF East Moor between 04-02-1944 and 31-08-1944.

1. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p.35).
2. http://clubhyper.com/reference/misskingsvillebs_1.htm
3. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=LL636.
4. 1668 HCU RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 29/613 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100322
5. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/LL617-LL680/mobile/index.html
6. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/January/prt1/1.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conversion_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bottesford.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Jan-2025 23:11	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-Jan-2025 23:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
30-Jan-2025 17:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
06-Feb-2025 19:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]