Sgt. Robert James Terry (Flt. Eng.)

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A Lancaster of the same type as the one Sgt. Terry flew in.

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626 Squadron in 1944

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Sgt. Terry's gravestone in Ramsden Crays churchyard

Jim Devlin

Location of Ramsden Crays Cemetery

Service Number: 1290468 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Son of Frederick John and Isabel Amelia Terry of Crays Hill.

Sgt. Terry was the Flight Engineer on Lancaster PA993 (nickname The Dodgem King ) of 626 squadron based at RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire, between Market Rasen and Lincoln. On 19th October 1944 the aircraft was airborne at 16.59 bound for Stutgart on a bombing mission. Sgt. Terry was the Flight Engineer on the aitcraft.

Returning from the mission the aircraft was on approach and for some reason had to abort the landing and overshoot. The aircraft did not climb quickly enough and struck a tree at the edge of the airfield which ripped off one of the wheels and it then crashed amongst trees at 0013 on 20th October 1944 near Stainton by Langworth , South West of the airfield. All the crew were taken to Lincoln to Lincoln Military Hospital where Sgt. Terry died of his injuries whilst being treated later that day. His body was carried by rail to Wickford station and he was given a full military funeral at St. Mary’s. His mother and sister lived at Crays Hall Farm, Ramsden Crays, at the time.

His body is buried at Ramsden Crays Churchyard. Sgt. Terry was 28.

In Lincolnshire Air War 1938 – 1945 by S. Finn the following description is given by D. Panshaw who was a boy of 10 living in the area at the time of the crash.

On that night I was awakened by the noise of engines and people shouting. I looked out the window and sat intrigued at the commotion, fire appliances and helpers were putting out several small fires, then I realised an aeroplane had crashed in our field. The aircraft had broken in half, the forward section skidding across the grass and coming to rest 100 yards from the bottom of our garden, the rear end, shorter than the front section, had gone across the opposite side of the field, a wing was torn away and a wheel which was ripped off in the crash struck the ground on the edge of the and leaving an imprint 12 – 18 inches deep. The wheel then cleared another field and came to rest two fields away.

All this happened in the early morning darkness and though the crash woke up most of the small village, no one in our house, which was nearest to the crash, was disturbed. The Lancaster III Serial No. PA993 of No. 626 Squadron, Wickenby with a Canadian crew, it was returning from operations and was on approach to base when it had to overshoot for some reason, the aircraft did not climb quickly and struck a tree at the edge of the field, ripping off one of the wheels.

39 Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed for the raid on Stuttgart on the night of 19/20th October 1944, 20 from No. 12 Sqn and 19 from No. 626 Sqn. The bomb loads were 1x4000lb High Explosive (the cookie) and 1620x 4lb incendiaries, a total of 10,480lbs.

The crew of the aircraft PA993 were:

Sgts, Air and Hill went back to flying duties but the four Canadians, F/O Clements and Sgts. Gardner, Richmond and Studney were discharged and returned home to Canada.