Date:	Friday 2 March 1945
Time:	01:18
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	57 Squadron RAF
Registration:	ND572
MSN:	DX-F
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 East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

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

The aircraft was destroyed at 01:18 hours in a mid-air collision with Lancaster ME473, which 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 ND572
AC.2 (Aircraftman 2nd Class) Hunter Mason AITKEN (3030232) Navigator Under Training: Commemorated Turners Hill (St. Leonard) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Flying Officer Robert Joseph ANSCOMB (174549) Pilot: Commemorated Camberwell Old Cemetery, Camberwell, London SE, United Kingdom
Sergeant Gerald Edward DANDY (2210620) Flight Engineer: Commemorated Liverpool (Anfield) Cemetery, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Sergeant Eric DAVIS (1591071) Air Gunner: Commemorated Newbold (St. John) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Sergeant Frederick Douglas LEAHY (3033640) Air Gunner: Commemorated Hucclecote (Saints Philip And James) Churchyard, Hucclecote, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Sergeant Ronald THOMAS (1586842) Air Gunner: Commemorated Chippenham (London Road) Cemetery, Chippenham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant Cyril John WATERS (1419043) Air Bomber: Commemorated Fishguard Church Cemetery, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire United Kingdom
Sergeant Cyril William WATTS (1892463) Wireless Op: Commemorated Enfield Highway (St. James) Churchyard, United Kingdom
Sergeant Derrick WHITEFOOT (1654216) Navigator: Commemorated Llangibby (St. Kybi) Churchyard, United Kingdom

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/
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=ND572
8. 57 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 31 March 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/540/5 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8452129
9. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/
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/100146/
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._57_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_East_Kirkby#History
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
17-Feb-2025 18:27	Dr. John Smith	Added