Date:	Tuesday 20 March 1945
Time:	23:48 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk III
Owner/operator:	57 Squadron RAF
Registration:	RA530
MSN:	DX-Y
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Fen Side, Stickney, 7 miles NNE of Boston, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. III RA570/DX-Y, 57 Squadron, RAF East Kirby Lincolnshire. Lost on 'ops' 20 March 1945 with five of the seven crew on board being killed. Target: Synthetic Oil plant at Bohlen, Germany.

Took off 23:45 on 20 March 1945 from RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire to bomb the synthetic-oil plant at Bohlen, but, within approximately three minutes, the Lancaster ploughed into a house at Fen Side near Stickney, Lincolnshire, 7 miles North North-East of Boston and on the main road leading to the Lincolnshire town of Spilsby. The cause of the crash was that the port outer engine caught fire at an altitude of 250 feet during the clmb out from RAF East Kirkby.

The subsequent board of enquiry established that the inner port engine caught fire immediately after takeoff. The flight engineer was unable to get the prop feathered and the pilot tried to gain height too quickly causing the Lancaster to stall. The cause of the fire was ONE defective bolt in the Big End assembly. The house that the Lancaster crashed into was located between Stickford and Stickney, but there were no reported casualties or fatalities with regard to the occupants of the house (presumed uhnoccupied at the time of impact)

Crew of Lancaster RA570:
Sergeant Kenneth Cromwell ASHUN (3010619) Flight Engineer (killed): Commemorated Bootle Cemetery, Bottle, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Flying Officer William Frederick CALDERBANK (154318) Navigator (killed): Commemorated Blackpool (Carleton) Crematorium, Blackpool, Lancashire United Kingdom
Flying Officer Charles Alan COBERN RAAF (5870) Pilot (killed): Commemorated Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant William Stacey SEARBY (1577517) Air Bomber (died of injuries 1 April 1945): Commemorated Croft (All Saints) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Sergeant Alan RAMSBOTTOM (1482867) Air Gunner (killed): Commemorated Sheffield (Shiregreen) Cemetery, Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom
Sergeant R Bates (WOp/Air Gunner) - injured
Sergeant E Lawrence (Mid-Upper Air Gunner) - injured

Flt/Sgt Searby died of injuries sustained in this incident on 1 April 1945 (12 days later). Flying Officer Cobern (from Hobart, Tasmania) is buried in Cambridge City Cemetery the other four killed were taken to their home towns.

Stickney is a linear village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Stickney is situated at the centre of the Lincolnshire Fens, 8 miles (13 km) north of Boston and 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Horncastle. The A16 road runs through it.

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
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. 57 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 March 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/540/6 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8452130
7. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78):
8. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/March/prt1/2.html
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32378692/charles-alan-cobern
10. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/104493
11. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10308149
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_East_Kirkby
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._57_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War.
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stickney,_Lincolnshire

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Feb-2025 23:14	Dr. John Smith	Added