Lancaster ED481

Flying out of RAF Waddington as part of a 148 aircraft bombing raid to Hamburg on the 30th January 1943 . This was the first raid to use the H2S Radar to assist the target finding . This proved to be unsuccessful on this occasion. Still , 58 people lost thier lives on the ground and another 164 injured. Of the 148 aircraft 5 were lost including ED481.
The aircraft, with a damaged engine, was diverted from Waddington on its return to attempt a landing at RAF Leeming . It never made it, crashing onto the slopes of Hawnby Hill in the North Yorkshire Moors.
There is some conjecture about the reason for the crash . It could have been due to the damaged engine or possibly it simply ran out of fuel due to the change of landing airfield.
The crew were all killed.
W/O Frank Nelson RCAF Pilot
Sgt. McKeen Allen RCAF Flt Eng
Sgt. George Done Nav
Sgt Alan Williams Bomb Aimer
Sgt. Henry Jones W/O
Sgt. Arthur Butcher A/G
Sgt. Walter Murton A/G

The Pilot was American and Flight Engineer was Canadian, the rear gunner was from South Africa .

The lead photo shows the area of the crash in the foreground. The supplementry shots show our memorial cross and a chunk of wreckage.
Very little is evident at this site now, We found a few small fragments of very corroded alloy amongst the tufts of grass.
This is a crash site that needs a memorial . Something to mark the passing of these men who almost made it home .
As nothing indicates the location of this historic site , I can at least give you an accurate Grid Reference SE53784 91445 , please visit if you can and nod your respects .

The only aircraft part we could find in the undergrowth