Unknown Navigator, D.F.M. West Bromwich connection.

Looking at the pedigree of Lancaster W4964. It was a Mark 1 Lancaster (Merlin 20 engines) manufactured by MV at Trafford Park,one of 200 ordered (SerialsW4761-W5012 ) in 1940, last 30 being Lancaster 111s (Packard built Merlin 28 engines) and delivered September.1942 to May 1943.It might be that some early airframes started out as Manchesters and were converted to the Lancaster during manufacture.

One of a number of Bomber Command Lancasters who topped 100 Ops and eventually went under the axe.It was issued to No 9 Squadron at Bardney in April 1943 and by October 1944 had completed 106 Ops as WS -J. At this point the aircraft must have been showing worse for wear and was relegated not to an HCU as normal but was passed to the role of a ground instruction Lancaster within Training Command as 4922M but postwar in November 1949 was SOC.

Background to W4964 and No 9 Squadron is outlined here:

Luck of a Lancaster

Then here memories of this aircraft live on with a fuselage section of WS-J on display at the Newark Air Museum.

Avro 683 Lancaster BI, 4922M, Newark Air Museum : (Courtesy Peter Clarke)

Per Ardua Ad Astra