The story of the crash of Lancaster DV290 started some days before the actual crash . In the Records of the 435th Troop Carrier group was the following entry.

Unfortunately the runway lights had been left on and this attracted the German Bomber . Though little damage was done it prompted an order that if an aircraft inbound was not identified then the runway lights were to be extinguished. This order though not the actual cause of the crash was a contributing factor to the crash.

During WW2, 101sqn were tasked with Electronic countermeasures to protect the bomber stream and had allocated a number of specially converted Lancaster's based at Ludford Magna in Lincolnshire. These were known as Airborne Cigar versions or ABC Lancaster's for short. So secret were these machines that no photographs were taken and when squadron photographs were needed the crews went to a neighbouring airfield and used a standard Lancaster. Even the families of the crews were not told the roll there family members had and believed they were normal flying crews for "Bomber Command".

ABC Lancaster with the aerials for countermeasures.

Instead of a normal crew of 7 these Lancaster's had an extra crew member who spoke German and could transmit to the German Night fighter crews and  confuse them and relay false coordinates. This tactic had worked well for some time and gave a measure of protection to the bomber crews but the Germans were becoming wise to the tactic and realised that every so often the false operator went off air while the radio operator received weather reports from base.

On the night of March 31st 1944 the 8 man  crew of DV290 were tasked to join the bomber stream for a maximum effort raid of the German town of Nurmberg . DV290 left the runway at Ludford Magna and joined the steam about 2/3rds of the way down and was known to have reached its target and released its bombs , but while returning the aircraft was attacked from the rear and the Rear Gunner was killed . This information was offered on the day of the memorial from the family of R.J.Collier. It seams that his body was the only one identified and his late father said that the cause of death was from bullet wounds. The actual crash report never mentioned this. The aircraft was damaged but still flyable as the crew made there way to the Reading vicinity which was to be the point all aircraft for the raid would split up and make for their home base. If is fairly obvious at his point the crew realised that it was not possible to make the return flight to Ludford Magna. At some point the crew saw the lights of Welford and may well have had no radio operational and decided to land unannounced. As the aircraft  lined up on the runway the lights were extinguished believing the un announced aircraft to be German. The result was that the aircraft struck the runway and the fuel tanks exploded. The following entry was made in the 435th Troop Carrier group Records.

In 2000 the group became aware of the incident and asked for permission to raise a memorial in the station memorial garden to the crew. This was dedicated and many of the family of the crews were present.

The Pilot

Pilot Flt/Sgt E.R.Thomas      RAF

The Crew

Sgt Donald Addy                  RAF

WO2 A.N. Rice                    RCAF

Flt /Sgt I.R.McNay                RCAF

                                   Flt/Sgt E H Traeger                 RAAF       (Special Operator)

F/S A H Wilson                       RAAF

Sgt D R Billson                        RAF

Sgt R A J Collier                      RAF

Shortly after the Memorial the family of Denis Billson kindly donated his posthumous Aircrew Europe Medal to the Ridgeway Military & Aviation Research Group where it is now mounted and proudly displayed in the upstairs meeting room

Aircrew Europe Issued to Bomber Command Aircrew

Memorial Plaque

Memorial Wreath's laid during Dedication ceremony at RAF Welford

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