460 SQUADRON
LANCASTER CRASH
2/3 MARCH 1943
near RAF Shawbury, in the grounds of Acton Reynolds girl's school, in Shropshire

Lancaster W4864, of 460 Squadron RAAF, based at RAF Breighton, crashed near RAF Shawbury, in the grounds of Acton Reynolds girl's school, in Shropshire at 00.10 hrs on 3 March 1943. On Page 70 of the book "Strike & Return", by Peter Firkins, it states:-

Those killed were:-

All of the crew had arrived at 460 Squadron at RAF Breighton on 27 February 1943 from No. 1656 Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme. . None of the crew had any operational experience, except for Sergeant Fulton who had flown a second dickie trip with Laurie J. Simpson on 28 February 1943.

E-mails from Peter Kerr, nephew of Roderick Watson Kerr

Four of the crew were buried at Shrewsbury General Cemetery in Shropshire, which is the same county in which the Lancaster crashed. A fifth person is buried in his hometown of Boythorpe, Chesterfield in Derbyshire:-

In Memory of

EDGAR CLAUDE FULTON

Sergeant
411890
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 23.

Son of Edgar Glendenning Fulton and Mabel Augusta Fulton, of Kingston, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

SHREWSBURY GENERAL CEMETERY, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number:  Plot 10. Grave 419.

In Memory of

ROSS CLIVE GRAHAM

Sergeant
411312
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 28.

Son of Albert James Graham and Ellen Graham, of Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia.

Cemetery: SHREWSBURY GENERAL CEMETERY, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number:  Plot 10. Grave 293.

In Memory of

EDWARD FRANCIS MURPHY

Flight Sergeant
401457
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 25.

Son of Edward William and Fanny Charlotte Murphy, of Somerville, Victoria, Australia.

Cemetery: SHREWSBURY GENERAL CEMETERY, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number:   Plot 10. Grave 388.

In Memory of

RODERICK WATSON KERR

Sergeant
979213
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 24.

Son of James Kerr, and of Katherine Flucker Greig Kerr, of Glasgow.

Cemetery:  GLASGOW (RIDDRIE PARK) CEMETERY, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number: Sec. E. Grave 3767.

THOMAS PATRICK GORE MILLEDY

Sergeant
1321984
Flt. Engr.
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943.

Cemetery:  SHREWSBURY GENERAL CEMETERY, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number:  Plot 10. Grave 514.

In Memory of

PETER FREDERICK BACON

Sergeant
1392379
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 20.

Son .of Walter Frederick and Adelaide Dolamor Bacon, of Enfield.

Cemetery:  ENFIELD (HERTFORD ROAD) CEMETERY, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number: Sec. C. Grave 5919.

In Memory of

RONALD OLDFIELD

Sergeant
1438969
Air Gnr
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on
Wednesday, 3rd March 1943. Age 21.

Son of James and Mabel Oldfield, of Boythorpe, Chesterfield.

Cemetery: CHESTERFIELD (BOYTHORPE) CEMETERY, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
Grave Reference/Panel Number:   Grave 3.

Can anyone help me with more details on this aircraft crash
including more history of the crew members

Subject:     Information on 460 Lanc wanted
Date:              Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:48:50 -0000
From:            paul.i.welch@bt.com

Hi Peter

I've just come across your excellent site on the web. I wondered if you could possibly help?

I am trying to find more information about a 460 Squadron Lancaster, which crashed on a training flight on 2-3 March 1943. I believe it was W4864 UV-?. It crashed near RAF Shawbury, in the grounds of Acton Reynolds girl's school, in Shropshire. My father was a 12 year old at the time and remembers being woken up by the crash, and hearing exploding ammunition. Over Christmas we drove past the area of the crash, and there is still a gap in a line of trees from the crash. Unfortunately all the crew were killed. The three RAAF crew, and one other, are buried a few miles away; the remaining 3 crew were buried in their home towns.

If there is any way you could help me find more information (or point me in its direction) about this aircraft, crew, or the crash itself it would be very much appreciated.

Best Regards

Paul Welch (UK)

Subject:   Information on 460 Lanc wanted
Date:           Sat, 15 Jan 2000 18:18:17 -0000
From:          paul.i.welch@bt.com

Peter

Many thanks for the reply, and the quote from the book.

I have a bit more information.

The other two crew members were the navigator, R Kerr (buried in Glasgow), and a gunner PE Bacon (buried in Enfield). It seems that Bacon had been on one operational sortie. I wonder where that was to?

Very many thanks for posting the request. If I find out more, I will mail you.

Best Regards

Paul

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledgement the kind assistance of Bill Moffat of the 460 Squadron Association in Sydney for some of the above information.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 14 January 2000

This page last updated 21 February 2020