Knipton Lancaster
Location: south west of the village
of Knipton
On the 4th April 1944, Lancaster
R5726 from No 5 Lancaster Finishing
School (LFS) at RAF Syerston crashed
at 1545 hours close to Branston
village at the southern end of Knipton
reservoir.
The aircraft was on a flight from
Syerston – Shrewsbury – Shaftesbury
– Syerston, which included a practice
bombing run at the Wainfleet Range on
the Lincolnshire coast. A detailed record
of the incident is noted on the Accident
Investigation Branch (AIB) report.
A local eyewitness noted a
thunderstorm in the area just before
the crash and that they had heard an
aircraft diving at high speed above the
clouds. Then as the aircraft came out
of the clouds it started to disintegrate
before crashing into the ground and
catching fire.
The AIB report also notes: “parts
were distributed up to 2½ miles
from the main impact point.” On the
mainplane (wing) it stated: “starboard
one was not recovered and is believed
to have fallen in a reservoir over which
the wreckage was scattered.” It also
noted: “Loss of control was probably
accentuated by presence of icing
and bumpiness in the cumulo-nimbus
cloud.”
The crew of Lancaster
R5726 was largely comprised
of Australian airmen:
RAAF - F/O J D Murray (Pilot)
RAFVR - SSgt S Chappell (Flight Engineer)
RAAF - F/O W L Towers
(Navigator / Bomb Aimer)
RAAF - F/S W H Keeble, (Navigator)
RAAF - Flt Lt GO Grimwood
(Wireless, Air Gunner)
RAAF - F/S R G Williams (Air Gunner)
RAFVR - Sgt R E J Sisley (Air Gunner)
The recovered wing tip from
Lancaster R5726 is displayed
at Newark Air Museum.
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