Date:	Thursday 1 February 1945
Time:	15:29 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	170 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	ME302
MSN:	TC-U
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B Mk. III ME302/TC-U of 170 Squadron RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when swung off the runway in a take-off accident at RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire. Mission: Target - Ludwigshafen.

Lancaster ME302 was wrecked at 15:29 hrs when it swung off the runway on takeoff at RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire. The pilot over-corrected the swing, the aircraft then swung in the opposite direction, overshot the runway, crossed the peritrack and ran into a ditch, causing the undercarriage to collapse.

Pilot - Flying Officer Dennis Jeavons RAF/176236 (NCO:1218909 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 04 July, 1944) and his crew were unhurt, but the aircraft was written off as Cat. E(FA).

Brief history of Lancaster ME302
Built by A V Roe & Co at Yeadon, West Yorkshire to contract Acft/2010
15-10-1944: Issued to 625 Squadron at RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire (posibly not delivered)
18-10-1944; Issued to 170 Squadron, RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire as "TC-U"
25-10-1944: Sustained Cat.A(c) damage in operatuional service. ROS by CWP (Repaired on Site by Contractors Working Party) from A V Roe & Co. Lincoln
04-11-1944: Repaired completed returned to serivce with 170 Sqaudron, RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire as "TC-U".
01-02-1945: Cat.E (FA) in take off accident at RAF Hemwell as per the above
14-02-1945: Struck off charge as Cat.E

1. "Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses, vol 6. Aircraft and Crews Losses 1945", by W R Chorley, ISBN 0-904597-92-X.
2. "The Bomber Command War Diaries", by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, ISBN 1-85780-033-8.
3. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985).
5. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#feb
6. 170 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 January to 14 November 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1097 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503736
7. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/ME295-ME379/mobile/index.html
8. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/February/prt1/1.html
9. https://ww2history.eu/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/lancaster/20739-ME302%201945-02-02.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._170_Squadron_RAF#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Hemswell#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Feb-2025 22:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-Feb-2025 18:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ]
16-Apr-2025 06:41	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]