An unidentified conflagration!

[GuyMassey]

There is only one photograph, the first one. The others are sections of that picture posted by members to illustrate their theories. My dad's memory is not great, but he says that it was the aftermath of a crash. It could of course have been a training or check flight in which case it may not have been armed? In my mind the wreckage in the fore ground rules out a deliberate burning.

[ME453]

Not a clue really!

Nothing new there then!

[halifax1]

Yes, Guy - cannot see (as I said) that it was deliberate burning - certainly not in the position it is and I do not think that they burnt aircraft as such as the airframe for example would have been used for spares etc. An accident is the most likely explanation.

Yes Max - I try to be modest because it is so easy to look down on some people unintentionally, even though I am only 5 feet two inches tall!

Sqdn Ldr Cloolless.

[Denonline]

Good to see you both back on form

I note that the tail wheel appears to have broken away, finishing up alongside the stbd fin.
This suggests that the a/c could have slewed violently to stbd, the missing wing parts being anywhere towards the nose. If the object above the wing was a tail fin, it woulf suggest a collision, I note the fire in the smoke fwd of the main blaze suggests a second cause, possibly a wing or other a/c.

Unowhoo.

[AlanW]

Den,
Even though i thought from the beginning, that this was the result of a prang, i must admit, i missed the fact about the tail wheel

[halifax1]

Can't go with the Halifax fin - wrong shape and proportions - and the item in question may be behind the tree - see foliage. Not sure about the tailwheel either. The engines are low slung and may have been pushed under the wings. The fuselage has broken along the join just behind the main spar, and rolled to port. Convinced the starboard aileron is on the ground below the wing. There appears to be a code letter in front of the roundel but you would expect two letters in that position on the stbd side.

Lancasters were at Chedburgh 1944 - 1945.

[ME453]

Can't go with the Halifax fin - wrong shape and proportions.

Scarily, I'm with shorty on this one, I don't think it's a Halifax fin either. Lots of possible interpretations about the picture but something about it suggests an actual crash to me rather than a set up for a training exercise.

Sqdn Ldr Lanc. E. Knott

[R5868]

One thing's for certain, it's either the longest Lanc. on record or it is broken into about three sections. The bit sticking up could be part of the port wing as the front turret is at the far right of the picture. Whatever happened, it is definitely a hell of a mess.

[K4KittyCrew]

One thing's for certain, it's either the longest Lanc. on record or it is broken into about three sections. The bit sticking up could be part of the port wing as the front turret is at the far right of the picture. Whatever happened, it is definitely a hell of a mess.

Kerry, are you saying that it can't be patched up and given to Heavy Conversion Unit ?

[GuyMassey]

One thing's for certain, it's either the longest Lanc. on record or it is broken into about three sections. The bit sticking up could be part of the port wing as the front turret is at the far right of the picture. Whatever happened, it is definitely a hell of a mess.

Kerry, are you saying that it can't be patched up and given to Heavy Conversion Unit ?

Ah, now if it were an HCU aircraft it may not have been armed, and that would explain the brave photographer! I'll be seeing dad this evening and will probe for answers!