Sibsey Northlands Lancaster Memorial
With a summer crop growing high in the field, it's not easy to spot the granite memorial, placed at Sibsey Northlands by relatives of the crew from Avro Lancaster III ED503. Nonetheless, when found, there can be few places that sum up the beauty of the Lincolnshire landscape more aptly. As a gentle breeze causes the wheat to sway, the peace prevailing is all-consuming, and it's hard to believe this is the site of an event where the lives of six young men ended many decades ago.
During January 1943, No. 9 Squadron began to receive Lancaster IIIs and comments made within the ORB Summary state operations were curtailed as the new aircraft were checked. ED503 was built at Chatterton as part of the fourth batch of 620 Lancasters delivered between November 1942 and June 1943. Upon completion of flight testing, it was taken on charge by No. 9 Squadron at Waddington on 23 January 1943. It is well known many of the RAF's heavy bombers were subject to a short period of service before being lost or written off in an accident. However, for ED503, its accrued flying time must have been something of a record, amounting to only 85 minutes.
On 29 January, ND503's crew for the day, Flt Lt Robert Lind (pilot), Plt Off. Charles Cocks (bomb aimer), Sgts Donald Brown (air gunner), John Doran (flight engineer), Thomas Henry (w/op) and Thomas Wishart (rear gunner) were tasked to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise with a Spitfire. Lind and his crew had recently transferred from No. 61 Squadron at Syerston to No. 9 Squadron, and this was one of their first flights in a Lancaster III. They had previously flown 11 operations (Lancaster I) with their former unit and were an experienced crew. Their navigator, W/O E. English, had stayed with No. 61 to complete his tour, as by then, he had flown 28 operations.
During the training flight, the Lancaster dived into a field at 15:30hrs near Sibsey Northlands for no apparent reason. Eyewitnesses state the aircraft appeared to be flying normally and, commencing a climb, suddenly went into a dive and didn't recover. The crash created a large crater, and it proved impossible to retrieve the bodies of the crew apart from the rear gunner, who was later buried in Dalkeith New Cemetery. His mates are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. It is curious why the loss did not warrant a mention within No. 9's ORB Summary.
Today, the Sibsey Lancaster Memorial Trust look after the site and keep it in immaculate condition. The Trust also hold an annual service at the memorial in remembrance of the crew. There is no finer place to visit to pay respects to six young lives cut short while training to take the fight to an enemy. For those who would like to know more about the crash and the crew, the book Memorial Lancaster ED503 by Stanley Naylor is recommended.
During January 1943, No. 9 Squadron began to receive Lancaster IIIs and comments made within the ORB Summary state operations were curtailed as the new aircraft were checked. ED503 was built at Chatterton as part of the fourth batch of 620 Lancasters delivered between November 1942 and June 1943. Upon completion of flight testing, it was taken on charge by No. 9 Squadron at Waddington on 23 January 1943. It is well known many of the RAF's heavy bombers were subject to a short period of service before being lost or written off in an accident. However, for ED503, its accrued flying time must have been something of a record, amounting to only 85 minutes.
On 29 January, ND503's crew for the day, Flt Lt Robert Lind (pilot), Plt Off. Charles Cocks (bomb aimer), Sgts Donald Brown (air gunner), John Doran (flight engineer), Thomas Henry (w/op) and Thomas Wishart (rear gunner) were tasked to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise with a Spitfire. Lind and his crew had recently transferred from No. 61 Squadron at Syerston to No. 9 Squadron, and this was one of their first flights in a Lancaster III. They had previously flown 11 operations (Lancaster I) with their former unit and were an experienced crew. Their navigator, W/O E. English, had stayed with No. 61 to complete his tour, as by then, he had flown 28 operations.
During the training flight, the Lancaster dived into a field at 15:30hrs near Sibsey Northlands for no apparent reason. Eyewitnesses state the aircraft appeared to be flying normally and, commencing a climb, suddenly went into a dive and didn't recover. The crash created a large crater, and it proved impossible to retrieve the bodies of the crew apart from the rear gunner, who was later buried in Dalkeith New Cemetery. His mates are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. It is curious why the loss did not warrant a mention within No. 9's ORB Summary.
Today, the Sibsey Lancaster Memorial Trust look after the site and keep it in immaculate condition. The Trust also hold an annual service at the memorial in remembrance of the crew. There is no finer place to visit to pay respects to six young lives cut short while training to take the fight to an enemy. For those who would like to know more about the crash and the crew, the book Memorial Lancaster ED503 by Stanley Naylor is recommended.
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The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI TE311 overflying the Sibsey Memorial on 26 September 2021 at the annual commemoration organised by the Sibsey Lancaster Memorial Trust.