Lancaster midair collison / returned to East Moor airfield.

On the night of 29/30th December 1943 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with Ops to Berlin. Outbound at 20.25 hrs the aircraft suffered minor damage to the mid-upper turret when taking evasive action to avoid colliding with two other aircraft which had themselves collided in front of them. (There were no collisions reported that night with fatal results). This aircraft returned safely to East Moor where damage was recorded as Cat A(c)/FB.

The aircraft was built to contract AC 239 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and delivered to MU store in July 1943. It was issued to 432 Sqdn at East Moor in early November 1943. The aircraft was flying its 5th Op with 432 Sqdn when the incident detailed above occured, it was repaired on site and repair was completed by New Years Day 1944 the aircraft suffered Cat. E/FB damage on 3rd January 1944 when on it's 7th Op and on return from Ops to Berlin it was attacked by a night-fighter which caused serious damage to the hydraulics and with the radio u/s, instruments shattered and the bomb doors hanging open, it crash landed at Woodbridge strip. One undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft ground looped. After assessment it was struck off charge on 15th January 1944.

Pilot - Sgt W Pay,

FEng - Sgt S Carr,

Nav - Sgt J Baker,

AB - Sgt G Armstrong,

WOp/AG - Sgt J Bell,

A/G - Sgt J Houston,

A/G - Sgt A King.

After completing 24 Ops with 432 Sqdn, 6 on Wellington's and 18 on Lancaster's, P/O Pay and most of his crew were posted out in March 1944.