Page 2 - 576 Squadron PD309 Recovery

The webmasters would like to thank Nicolas Clinaz who led the recovery team in
August 2011. We would also like to thank Geoffrey and Patricia, the son and
daughter of Flying Officer Clarence Roy Pegg DFC, R.A.A.F. The pilot of this
Lancaster, for allowing use of their fathers Log Book.

At 17.45pm on the evening of January 16 1945, Avro Lancaster PD 309 W –
th
William2 of ‘B’ Flight, 576 Squadron, swung onto the eastern head of Fiskerton's
main runway and lined-up ready for take-off with the last rays of the winter sun
silhouetted behind Lincoln Cathedral some 4 miles to the West of the airfield.

With final pre-take off checks completed, the pilot seeing the green light from the
runway control trailer applied take off power. The Lancaster with an all up weight of
65,000 lbs and carrying a war load consisting of 1 x 4000 lb high capacity demolition
Bomb (known by crews as a ‘Cookie’) and 12 x 500 lb general purpose bombs
th
started to move down the main runway on its 47 and final operation.
Once airborne, they headed west over Lincoln, gaining height to join the rest of the
Squadron and Group's aircraft. With their four Merlin engines set to continuous
power, they changed course to the south and climbed to their operational height of
21,000 Feet.

Overflying Reading, just north of London No.1 Group Lancasters joined up with the
Lancasters of No.5 and 6 Groups and led by 14 Pathfinder Mosquitoes of No.8
Group, they finally set course to cross the Channel coast at Dieppe.

The 328 main force Lancasters target that night was the BRABAG Braunkohlen
Benzin AG) Petrochemical plant located in the Troglitz suburb of Zeitz, located
between Berlin and Leipzig. Zeitz was one of the most heavily defended
targets in Germany.

By the time the sun rose over the eastern horizon the following morning, Avro
Lancaster PD 309 W - William2, having sustained severe damage to its flying
surfaces and flying on one engine, had crashed into a Belgium field.

And there it would remain, with its Merlin’s embedded some 10 feet into the soft
Belgium earth for 66 years. The crew that night had Lady Luck with them as they all
safely parachuted out over allied lines with just the Mid upper Gunner receiving a
broken ankle.

The pilot, Flying Officer Clarence Pegg for his act of bravery in keeping this stricken
Lancaster in the air long enough for his crew to bail out, himself then parachuting to
safety from a height of less than 1500 feet was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross, also the Wireless Operator and Flight Engineer both received the
Distinguished Flying Medal for their actions that night.

Much of the airframe was removed during the war, initially by the farmer using a
tractor and the recovered air frame sent to the scrap yard. The remainder being left
in the ground with over the years pieces of the airframe and ammunition coming to
the surface, this prompting the farmer son to contact Nicolas and his team.