The Salford Lancaster by Joe Bamford

Author:Joe Bamford [Bamford, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 1990-12-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

A COMMUNITY IN CRISIS

In many of his paintings the famous Salford artist L.S. Lowry portrayed drab scenes of the city’s mills and factories, often depicting its people as “match-stick” beings in an industrial colourless world. What his paintings fail to reveal however is the pride, courage, and determination of its citizens especially in times of crisis. From the day that the first German bomb dropped on Salford on 29 July, 1940, and during the blitz that followed, its people were resolved not to be beaten.

Salford like most cities in Britain raised money to build aircraft and during the week of 15 May-22 May, 1943, the City’s Savings Committee set a target of £1,000,000 for 18 Lancasters and 35 Beaufighters. On Saturday, 15 May, the “Wings for Victory” Appeal was launched with a huge parade, involving the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, as well as units from local RAF stations and the Air Training Corps. At 3.00 pm no less a man than Major-General Ira C. Eaker, DFC, Commanding General of the United States Eighth Army Air Force, took the salute in Peel Park, accompanied by the Mayor of Salford, Councillor C.J. Townsend, JP.

Throughout the week events were held involving exhibitions and displays by RAF personnel and in Peel Park, the fuselage of a Lancaster was put on display, along with a Miles Master and a barrage balloon. On 20 May there was a parade and inspection of Women’s Auxiliary Air Force units from Bowlee, Ringway and Wilmslow. On 22 May a Wings for Victory Dance was held at Broughton Senior School organized by 319 Squadron of the Air Training Corps, after a huge Youth Movement Parade involving the ATC, Sea Cadets, Home Guard and Army Cadets.

There is no way of knowing whether the Lancaster that arrived over the town a year later on a quiet Sunday morning was one of those sponsored by Salford’s Savings Committee. Exactly how the ill fated bomber arrived over Salford will always remain a mystery, but from various reports and sightings, we can build up a picture of its last few minutes in the air. Approaching Manchester from the north-west at about 8,000 ft the Lancaster flew close to Oldham, Prestwich and Middleton and PB 304 was over these towns when the first signs of trouble appeared. With the aircraft losing height rapidly and its pilot no longer in full control, some attempt had to be made to salvage the situation, since Flight Lieutenant Lines knew ahead of him lay the Pennines, a long chain of hills with several peaks above 1,000 ft. On 7 August, 1942, an American B17 had crashed into Winter Hill near Bolton, while just over a year later, on 12 November, 1943, a Wellington bomber on a training flight crashed on Anglezarke Moor, to the north of Winter Hill, killing all six of its crew.

There were sightings of an aircraft which could have been PB 304 flying close to the Manchester Ship Canal near Irlam and, as

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