Date:	Friday 2 March 1945
Time:	01:18
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	207 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	ME473
MSN:	EM-M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Fen Farm, Side Bar Lane, Heckington Fen, Sleaford, LIncolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III ME473/EM-M, 207 Squadron RAF: Written off (destroyed) 2 March 1945 in a mid-air collision with Lancaster ND572/DX-F of 57 Squadron RAF at Fen Farm, Side Bar Lane, Heckington Fen, Sleaford, LIncolnshire.

The aircraft, which is believed to have arrived on the Squadron during mid-February 1945, had done one operation, on 24th February (to Ladbergen). Flt Lt Edward Lawson’s crew had done 22 operations.

The aircraft was destroyed at 01:18 hours in a mid-air collision with Lancaster ND572. ME473 had just completed a fighter affiliation exercise with a Hurricane and was leaving the training area when it collided with ND572 which was running in to commence a similar exercise with the same Hurricane.

According to one account (see link #6)

"Early in the morning of 2nd March 1945 a fighter affiliation training exercise – one where RAF bombers would be ‘attacked’ by RAF fighters – was taking place in the skies above Ruskington. It was a routine exercise designed to test the skills of all involved.

The fighter would close on its quarry and the bomber crews would try and ‘shoot down’ their adversary with cine cameras attached to their guns while the bomber pilot took – often violent – evasive action and the rest of the crew kept a look out in a bid to ‘save’ his aircraft. After the exercise the cine film would be examined in detail and feedback given. But on this occasion, a night fighter affiliation exercise, the outcome was unexpected.

Avro Lancaster III bomber ME473, of No. 207 Squadron, RAF, had completed its exercise with the RAF fighter – probably from No. 1690 Bomber Defence Training Flight based at nearby RAF Metheringham – and was flying away from the exercise area.

At the same time a second Lancaster – DX-F/ND572 – from No. 57 Squadron RAF was approaching to take its place.

The two Lancasters – complete with a full crew and an additional ‘passenger’ on each aircraft – collided in mid-air. Both aircraft came down at Fen Farm, Ruskington. In that moment seventeen men lost their lives as wreckage fell to Fen Farm below. This included the crew of both Lancasters (eight per aircraft instead of the usual crew of seven).

Crew of Lancaster ME473
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant 419881 Edward McMaster LAWSON (RAAF): Commemorated Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom
Navigator: F/O 154636 William Winston LORD (RAFVR): Commemorated Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom
Air Bomber: Flt. Sgt. 1671712 Arthur HENDERSON (RAFVR): Commemorated Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom
Air Gunner: Sgt. 1899297 Robert Charles BANKS (RAFVR): Commemorated Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom
Air Gunner: Sgt. 1869316 George Walter FLITT (RAFVR): Commemorated Watford North Cemetery, Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Air Gunner: Sgt. 1596299 George WILKINSON (RAFVR): Commemorated Alnwick Cemetery, Alnwick, Northumberland, United Kingdom
W/Operator: Sgt. 1590550 Raymond RICHARDSON (RAFVR): Commemorated Felling (Heworth) Cemetery, Gateshead, United Kingdom
Leading Aircraftman 1559833 John MORRISON (RAFVR): Commemorated Greenock Cemetery, United Kingdom

Men from RAF Metheringham spent three weeks at the crash site recovering the crews. However, it would another 50 years for Sergeants Robert Banks and Arthur Henderson could be officially accounted for. Leading Aircraftman John Morrison was flying as a passenger on ME473.

An unnamed airman had been initially buried at Cambridge City Cemetery and his gravestone marked accordingly. But another body remained to be found.

In 1995 an excavation licenced by the Ministry of Defence of the 57 Squadron aircraft (below) by the Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group, it emerged that the site coordinates provided by the Ministry of Defence were in fact those of the 207 Squadron aircraft.

A body found on board was identified as Sergeant Robert Charles Banks. Hence the ‘unknown airman’ buried at Cambridge was Sergeant Arthur Henderson. On Friday, 25 October 1996 at Cambridge City Cemetery Sergeant Banks was buried with full military honours.

At the same time, the gravestone inscribed ‘AN AIRMAN OF THE 1939 – 1945 WAR’ and ‘KNOWN UNTO GOD’ was removed and the grave received a new gravestone dedicated to Flight Sergeant Arthur Henderson.

A plaque commemorating the two aircrews was erected at Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirby, Lincolnshire.

Ruskington is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Sleaford on the north–south B1188 road and slightly north of the A153 road.

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999.
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945.
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain 1985).
4. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database.
5. https://www.bcar.org.uk/new1945-incident-logs#mar
6. https://www.ruskingtonwarmemorials.co.uk/air-crash-fen-farm/
6. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=ME473
7. https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/lots-to-see/exhibitions
8. 207 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 March 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1236/14 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8393172
9. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/ME380-ME487/mobile/index.html
10. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/March/prt1/2.html
11. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/110469
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Spilsby#Later_in_the_war
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._207_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruskington

Memorial plaque to the crews of Lancasters ME473 and ND572 Crews of Lancasters ME473 and ND572 © Colin Murray (WMR-85043) Memorial display to the crew of Lancasters ME473 and ND572 at Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirby, Lincolnshire Crews of Lancasters ME473 and ND572 © Colin Murray (WMR-85043)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2025 16:31	Dr. John Smith	Added
09-Feb-2025 22:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
11-Feb-2025 15:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]