Page 23 - Present Day Airfield
P. 23
In the above picture can be seen the full width of the main runway going east to its
head at 26.
On the horizon is the present day rifle range with its earth firing butts. By contrast the
th
bottom picture shows approximately the same view on the 8 May 1945. At 12.08pm
a 576 Squadron Avro Lancaster NN 806 M-Mike carrying food supplies to Rotterdam
in support of Operation ʹMannaʹ swung off the main runway with a collapsed
undercarriage. The pilot of the Lancaster was Flying Officer Scott. Just one of the
crew was injured, Flying Officer Cross suffering a sprained wrist. Twelve hours later,
at midnight the war was over. This was the last aircraft lost by Bomber Command
before the end of hostilities.
