Lancaster..DV 345 100 sqdrn ?

DV345 served on No 100 Squadron coded HW:T 03/11/43 to 23/11/43. I do not have the code on No 550 Sqdn strength.

DV345 served on No 100 Squadron coded HW:T 03/11/43 to 23/11/43. I do not have the code on No 550 Sqdn strength.

Read the above post with great interest! Maybe this picture will jog your memory?

Read the above post with great interest! Maybe this picture will jog your memory?

Hi C.D. thanks for the info. In October 1979 I was looking for signs of Roman, or rather Anglo/Romano sites, and thought these sites may be better seen from the air. The story of a crashed Lanc was also in my mind. As we flew in a light aircraft from Holbeach St Johns airfield, I saw one or two sites of interest, photographed them and made a note of their location. One photo of a field, showed a huge “Dip” in it. I visited the farmer the next day and told him what I had seen in his field. In Nov, same year the dig started, it was silt soil, and we were using a JCB, but having to make steps in the soil to go lower so the arm of thee JCB could dig deeper, we found no end of small bits and bobs, then hit the SEA bottom, some 28 feet down, and also clay, A merlin engine was found, and dug. up, and taken to a farm barn owned by one of my friends until we could get it cleaned and all thee dirt and clay off. Due to a personal incident, I forgot all about the engine, until yesterday, when the Curator of an aircraft museum came to se me.He had a plan of all the fields in the area where he had heard it was me that had dug the Lanc up. and could I show him where it was on his map. Easy, as if it had happened yesterday. I aked him if he could I.D. the aircraft, and he stated he had the engine, as the chap who had been looking after it was in an old folks home, the farm was sold, and he had managed to get the engine.He told me the A/C was DV 345 of 100 sqrdrn. His visit yesterday is almost 31 yrs, to the day. since the aircraft was dug up. I said that as I had paid for the whole of the excavation, and no permits were needed in those days to dig crash sites, the engine was in fact mine.however, I told him the museum could keep the Merlin, provided he would remove a piston and con rod, as a reminder of the dig.and give it to me. He readily agreed, so I am awaiting history to come home.

Lincoln .7

Lincoln .7

According to Bomber Command Losses 1944 Lancaster I DV345 coded BQ-? from 550 Squadron crashed at 07:08 at Whaphole Drove, eight miles south-east of Spalding, Lincolnshire on return from an operation to Berlin. Take-off time was 00:05 from Grimsby.

F/O R.H.Mawle
Sgt P.P.O’Meara
F/O G.M.H.H.F de Menten de Horne
Sgt J.R.Rounding
Sgt M.G.Capel
Sgt C.W.Taylor RCAF
Sgt E.Skelton

None of the crew survived.

DV345 was built by Metropolitan-Vickers as a Mk. I in late 1943. She served with 100 Sqn (code and dates unknown) and then with 550 Sqn (code unknown) until it caught fire in the air over Lincs. on 2 January 1944 either on the way to or on the way back from Berlin.

Hope this helps.

FC