F/O C J Weight RAFVR and crew - 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds –1944/45
Humber Crash - 4th January 1945 - Avro Lancaster III - ND861 - Training.
Chris Weight's crew were posted to 103 Sqn from 71 Base on 11th Dec 1944.
They completed the following operations in their short time with 103 Sqn :-
28-Dec-44 - Munchengladbach - Lancaster - PD272 - P/O CJ Weigh
29-Dec-44- Scholven Buer - Lancaster - PD272 - P/O CJ Weight
31-Dec-44 - Osterfeld - Lancaster - PD272 - P/O CJ Weight
P/O Weight and his crew took off from Elsham Wolds at 1424 on the 4th January 1945 on a training flight. The weather rapidly deteriorated and a blizzard ensued. Weight attempted to return to the airfield in very bad conditions but crashed into the River Humber at 1440 near Hull. No trace of the crew was found and they are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing.
David Weight has informed me that a launch was sent out to look for survivors and that some wreckage and papers were found, no trace of the crew or aircraft remained. No 22 ASRMCU sent out a launch HSL130 at 1455 but the launch ran aground on Foul Holme Spit and they were ordered to return to base.
Acting Fg Off and pilot Chris Weight is front centre. Bottom right is Navigator Fg Off Maurice Pickersgill. Rear right is Bomb Aimer Sgt Henry ‘Harry’ Backway. Rear left is Wireless Op. Sgt Cliff Hillier. The two gunners rear centre and bottom left are Sgt Stanley Rees George and Sgt Cyril Lloyd. It is not known at this stage which is which.
P/O Christopher Joseph Weight RAFVR – Pilot – 103 Sqn – Runnymede Memorial
P/O George Edward Widdicombe RAFVR ( pictured above ) - 32 – 103 Sqn - Son of James Henry Widdicombe, M.A., and Violet Maud Widdicombe; husband of Ione Ruth Widdicombe, of Manningtree, Essex - Runnymede Memorial
F/O Maurice Desmond Pickersgill RAFVR ( pictured above ) - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of John Clarence and Nora Winifred Pickersgill, of Wakefield, Yorkshire - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt Henry George Backway RAFVR ( pictured above ) - 21- 103 Sqn - Son of Henry Ernest and Violet Helena Backway, of Plymouth - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt Clifford Frederick Hillier RAFVR - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Melvin Alfred and Maud Hillier, of Ashtead, Surrey - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt Cyril Lloyd RAFVR - 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of John Rees Lloyd and Elizabeth Lloyd, of Bedminster, Somerset - Runnymede Memorial
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The 7th member of this crew was Sgt S R George who was the mid upper gunner and did not fly on this training flight. What became of him is unknown but he does not seem to have flown for 103 Sqn again.
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Lancaster - ND861
This machine gave excellent service having completed 45 operations before being lost on this Air Test. Its first operation was with F/L Gane and crew. See below :-
15-Aug-44 - Le Culot - Lancaster - ND861 - F/L VG Gane
Written by David Fell. The photos came from several sources many years ago. My thanks to those concerned. Thanks to David Weight for further information and to David Howells for the crew photo and the photo of P/O Widdicombe.
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