ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159044
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| Date: | Sunday 4 March 1945 |
| Time: | 00:36 |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 1654 CU RAF |
| Registration: | PB118 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near Sookholme, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wigsley, Nottinghamshire |
Lancaster Mark III, PB 118 ‘Q’ from 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF Wigsley (parent station at Swinderby) near Lincoln was on a night exercise practice bombing over the Bassingham ranges between Lincoln and Newark close to the A46 Fosse Way.
This crew had never been on ‘Ops’. They saw one aircraft shot down in flames. The rear gunner then saw a Ju 88 who kept following the Lancaster until he gave the aircraft a burst of fire to put him off. Complying with instructions known as ‘Scram’ the pilot of the Lancaster headed in a Westerly direction.
Five minutes later the mid upper gunner spotted another Ju 88 but evaded any damage. Not long after, over Worksop, the Lancaster was hit on the starboard engine inner, the attacker for some reason or other could not be seen, after a second burst of fire the aircraft was out of control. The Skipper gave the order to bale out in the vicinity of Warsop Windmill. The blazing aircraft plunged, fortunately, into a field near the railway embankment at Sookholme, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Six of the seven crew survived, including pilot F/S Pinkston, Bomb Aimer John Pringle and Nav Charles (Chuck) Rouse. The mid upper gunner Flt Sgt Roderick Campbell RAFVR (1820283) was killed, landing in the Spion Kop region. The Ranby family cared for them. Eddy Moss, deceased, a Gents Hairdresser on Sherwood Street was an A.R.P. Warden at the time and saw the Lancaster coming down in flames.
Lancaster PB118 was one of two "kills" claimed in "Operation Gisella"(a Luftwaffe night-fighter intruder sortie) by Oberleutnant Walter Briegleb during the night of 3/4 March 1945. He claimed to have shot down a 4-engined aircraft at 00:36 hours South of Waddington, and another 4-engined plane at 00:56 hours 40 km (25 NM) W of Lincoln - PB118 was probably the latter.
Crew details:-
Pilot : Flight Sergeant R W Pinkstone RAF [Injured]
Air Gunner : Sergeant Roderick Campbell RAFVR 1820283 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant H Evans RAF [Injured]
Sergeant J S Morgan RAF [Injured]
Sergeant J Pringle RAF [Injured]
Sergeant C G Rouse RAF
Sources:
1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
3. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=8221
Images:
Google Maps.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Aug-2013 10:55 | JINX | Added |
| 28-Dec-2014 07:24 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Dec-2014 07:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Phase, Departure airport] |
| 09-Jun-2015 17:55 | Angel dot comma | Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
| 27-Jul-2019 17:00 | Ian Lanc | Updated [Source, Photo] |
| 04-Jul-2023 14:27 | Anon. | Updated [[Source, Photo]] |
| 23-Jul-2023 19:44 | Anon. | Updated [[[Source, Photo]]] |
| 05-Jan-2024 13:13 | campbell | Updated [Narrative] |
| 03-Mar-2024 08:01 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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