Date:	Thursday 5 April 1945
Time:	02:58
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	1667 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF
Registration:	ND639
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Windsor Lane, Crowle, Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sandtoft
Destination airport:	RAF Sandtoft

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I ND639, 1667 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), RAF Sandtoft: Destroyed 5 April 1945 when crashed at Windsor Lane, Crowle, Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire

Lancaster ND639 was airborne from RAF Sandtoft at 22:00hrs on 4 April 1945 to crew training as part of a BULLSEYE exercise. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed by fire when it dived into the ground due to loss of control - presumed due to severe icing - at 02:58hrs on 5 April 1945 near Windsor Lane, Crowle, Lincolnshire.

All seven crew killed (no survivors). Four of the crew were Commemorated at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. United Kingdom. Two coukld not be identified or recovered, and are Commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom

Crew of Lancaster ND639
Flight Sergeant Wilfred Stuart BENNETT (432937): Commemorated Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. United Kingdom
Warrant Officer Ernest John CASTOR (434240): Commemorated Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. United Kingdom
Sergeant Stanley Joseph CRAWHALL (1684977) Pilot: Commemorated Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (St. Andrew's And Jesmond) Cemetery, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant Thomas EVANS (19183): Commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom
Pilot Officer James Edward GRAYSON (434588): Commemorated Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant Douglas Lionel HAYES (429952): Commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant Maxwell Bentley KILSBY (437422): Commemorated Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire. United Kingdom

Crowle is a market town in the civil parish of Crowle and Ealand, on the Isle of Axholme in the North Lincolnshire unitary authority of Lincolnshire, England. The crash location was 4 miles North North-East from the Airfield, and 7 miles West North-West from Scunthorpe.

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NZ999
2. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
3. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses, Vol.8, Heavy Conversion Units and Miscellaneous Units, 1939-1947. W.R. Chorley; 2003; Midland Publishing; ISBN 1 85780 156 3
5. 1667 HCU RAF Operational Record Book (record of Events for the period 1 September 1943 to 31 May 1945 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/614/3 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7160917
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78):
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/April/prt1/1.html
8. https://www.newmp.org.uk/person/sj-crawhall-1945/
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173762990/stanley-joseph-crawhall
10. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/105218/
11. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2810231/stanley-joseph-crawhall/
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conversion_units_of_the_Royal_Air_Force#List_of_conversion_units
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowle,_Lincolnshire
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Sandtoft#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Feb-2025 21:24	Dr. John Smith	Added
15-Feb-2025 21:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]