AVRO LANCASTER W4929 CODED AJ-J
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig
The bent crankshafts from two Merlin engines in the foreground and just behind Mick are some of the largest bits in this 4m by 20m scar left in the hillside by the impact of a Lancaster bomber.
Location: SN 82793 23892
We have received the following information about this site from the aircrew remembrance society:
Lancaster W4929 H.C.U. crashed on the 5th September 1943 with the loss of all the crew:
Took off from Winthorpe for a night cross country training flight. They flew into a heavy storm over the Brecon Beacons and crashed at 23.20hrs.
Two of the commonwealth crew are buried in Hereford Cemetery (F/O Folkersen R.C.A.F. Fl/Sgt. Buckby R.A.A.F.), Sgt Curran was interred in Bath Cemetery. P/O Duxbury and Sgt Holding are buried in Standish, Wigan. Sgt Wilson is buried in Clitheroe Cemetery, Sgt Pratt at Hemel Hempstead, P/O Johnson D.F.M. was cremated at Woking Crematorium.
7 comments:
Am I correct in thinking that this is the former 617 squadron and operation chastise veteran?
Dunno. I'll look into it. Any suggestions for where to look?
Yes ex 61 Sqn, 617 Sqn, 619 Sqn then to 1661 HCU - from 'The Lancaster File' Air-Britain Publications (c) 1985
Thanks, "Unknown"
Aircraft was on loan from 61 squadron to 617 squadron on the 20th of April 1943 Gibson and his original crew flew the aircraft on a low level exercise as documented in his flying log book
Thanks, Bernard, interesting stuff
Yes can confirm through extensive research that W4929 was used during op chastise as a training aircraft assigned to `A` flight 617 Sqn coded AJ-J and was flown by wing commander Guy Gibson VC, probably the only remains in the UK of a Dambuster (op chastise ) used lancaster, the aircraft crashed 4 months later in the black mountains, brecon beacons.
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