Personnel Index - Detail
Golders Green Crematorium kindly checked their records and informed the Association that F/O Chatterjee's ashes were removed from Golders Green following cremation.
F/O Chatterjee is remembered on the walls of the National Arboretum.
From the walls of the Arboretum
On the night of 22nd January 1952, Avro Lincoln SX923 of 49 Sqn was diverted to Marham from its home airfield at Upwood. While circling to land, the aircraft crashed near the Downham Market road at Black Drove, Fincham (see the image below). The wreckage was spread over a wide area. Rescuers managed to drag the only survivor, Sgt J F Groom clear who was seriously injured.
F/O Chatterjee (one of those killed) was attached to the squadron for two weeks training from No.81 Reserve Centre.
It is believed that the crash was caused when the starboard inner engine failed when the aircraft had full flaps applied for the final stages of the approach to Runway 06.
The location of the crashsite was kindly provided by Sir Jeremy Bragge of the Stradsett Estate. His remembers his late father talking about the accident. The Lincoln bomber took out the tops of several of their trees before crashing in a field belonging to the local "knacker's man".
The crash site is at the end of 'Black Drove'
SX923 came down in the field behind the car
The field was very 'boggy' and the rescue vehicles had difficulty in reaching the crash site in this field.
More details of the crash location with the red circle being the location of the previous photograph.
Avro Lincoln SX923
F/Sgt B Wejman (killed)
F/Sgt RE Griffith (killed)
Sgt W Pickering (killed)
Sgt FR Edwards (killed)
F/O ML Chatterjee (killed)
Sgt JF Groom (injured)