I just found this on F/L Ken Letford from his time on Valiants. Apparently he was Court Martialled!
www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/user/08/u1703708.shtml
Here's the text which is found about five sixths down:
'I forget quite when but one day I was sent as Officer under instruction to a series of Courts Martial at RAF Wyton. One was an airman charged with stealing fuel from a Generating set, another was an airman who had used someone’s car without permission and the third was Squadron Leader Ken Letford D.S.O, D.F.C who earned his medals flying Lancasters during WWII. His was a particularly unfortunate case as he was charged with damaging one of Her Majesty’s aircraft.
It was stated that he had taxied a Valiant Bomber into a ladder that had broken off the pitot tube that led to the air speed indicator. His colleagues supported him magnificently and satisfied the court that the Valiant had been parked on a concrete apron designed for smaller aircraft. The apron was also on a slight slope and a strong wind had been blowing down the slope at the time. A case of several events conspiring to make the situation worse all at once. This is something that is often found when accidents occur. They are seldom due to a single cause. His colleagues carried out numerous tests in various wind conditions to show that the ladder had been blown into the path of the aircraft. It had been parked on the edge of the small apron because of wet conditions at the time. The court finally agreed and the case was dismissed. If ever there was a case that should not have been brought this was it! The cost of all the tests and the wasted time must have far exceeded the price of a new pitot tube. It was also compounded by the fact that the Valiant has swept back wings and the pitot tube was on the right side of the aircraft but the captain sits on the left. The co-pilot might just have seen what was going on but the pilot had no chance whatsoever, but he was Captain!!. I was very pleased that his case was dismissed and felt that if I was ever in court I would prefer it to be a Court Martial as justice was done that day.'