Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

See the info below re Stirling BF466
My Uncle was the Navigator
The pilot was apparently trying to land the a/c on 3 engines following an air test.
They ran off the end of the runway and the undercarriage collapsed.
The crash is not in my Uncle's log book nor can I find it in the Squadron ORB.
Yet I believe this a/c was written off due to the crash.
Now you don't just write of a Stirling without anybody noticing!
Can anybody shed further light here?
Thanks
....................

SERIAL : BF466

DATE : 31-Jul-1943

UNIT : 620 Sqdn

SQUADRON or UNIT CODES : QS

AIRCRAFT : Short Stirling III

RAF BASE : Chedburgh : GPS location 52.179617 / 0.618301

TARGET : Air Test

CAUSE OF LOSS : Crashed whilst landing / crash landed

Pilot : Sergeant John Francis Nichols RAFVR 1318759

Flight Engineer : Sergeant Maurice Meakin RAFVR 1583462

Navigator : Sergeant Stanley George Bond RAFVR 1393302

Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer Neville Sladen Mitchell RAFVR 131953
(NCO:1238103) : Gazetted Commission Date : 16 February 1943

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant James Patrick Donnelly
RNZAF NZ/405262

Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant George Charles Burton RAFVR 1612869

Rear Gunner : Sergeant Stephen George Coyne RAFVR 1494494

I presume that you have copies of the AM78 and AM1180 Forms which confirm the details relating to the crash and the subsequent write-off. Also, have you tried the station ORB, as this sometimes has a record of incidents / losses?

Regards

PeteT