| Accession Number | REL48120.003 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Alloy |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom |
| Date made | pre 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Source credit to | This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government. |
Avro Lancaster Mk I fragments : Pilot Officer Max Keiran Cummings, Royal Australian Air Force
Description
Three small fragments of duraluminium (aluminium alloy) from Avro Lancaster Mk I ED439. The fragments are corroded and feature jagged edges.
History / Summary
Remnants of Avro Lancaster Bomber Mk I ED439 found at a crash site near Scredington, United Kingdom.
The fragments are associated with the service of 408904 Pilot Officer (PO) Max Keiran Cummings. PO Cummings was born in Goulbourn, NSW on 1 April 1913 and worked as a Salesman and Dairy Farmer prior to his enlistment on 20 June 1941. Whilst training in Australia he met and married Kathleen Harrold, whose family took in many Australian servicemen whilst they were on leave in Victor Harbour, South Australia. Their son, Peter Harrold Cummings, was born the following year on 12 March 1943.
PO Cummings was posted to England in July 1942 with No. 467 Squadron, RAF. He flew four missions over Germany in the squadron’s Avro Lancaster heavy bombers in May 1943. He was then posted to No. 83 Squadron RAF, which formed part of the No. 8 Group Pathfinder Force based at RAF Wyton. Eleven days later, on 18 June 1943, PO Cummings was the pilot of Avro Lancaster Mk I ED439 on a daytime bombing target exercise. Taking off from RAF Wyton with seven crew and two passengers, the aircraft failed to complete the training detail. Diving through heavy cloud, the wing of the aircraft struck a building at High Gate Farm near Scredington, Lincolnshire and crashed. All nine on board were killed.
The crew were identified as: 408904 PO Max Keiran Cummings, RAAF (Pilot); 6756 Sergeant (Sgt) Henry Whitfield Luker, RAAF (Flight Engineer); Sgt Francis William Wilcox, RAF (Navigator); Sgt John Roughley, RAF (Air Bomber); Sgt Harry William Cheshire, RAF (Wireless Air Gunner); Sgt Norman Woodcock, RAF (Mid Upper Gunner); Flight Sergeant Robert Allan Taylor, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) (Rear Gunner); Corporal (Cpl) Thomas John Bond, RAF; Cpl Francis Neville Sloss, RAF.
The fragments of the aircraft were recovered by Graham Wheat of Grantham in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom and sent to the sister of PO Cummings, Norma Whittle of Sydenham, Victoria in 1989/1990.