Having just revisited PPRuNe. I thought I would post another memory to see if anyone remembers the occasions.
In March 1952 on returning from No.4 FTS at RAF Heany, Southern Rhodesia I went to RAF Moreton in Marsh for acclimatisation training (to get used to UK weather). Whiile there I learnt that I was to be posted to RAF Driffield for conversion to Meteors (Mk4). On the last few days of the course we were told that a Meteor was due in. All of us who were scheduled for Meteors rushed out to the tarmac to witness the event.
We watched in awe as the meteor turned onto finals. To our complete horror the aircraft entered a steep diving curve and crashed about half a mile from the end of the runway. The pilot (a RAF Doctor. I think Doc Mack) was killed. Not a very good introduction to the Meteor.
On arrival at Driffield things didn't get much better. I remember well that when it came round to the Night Flying phase the instructor warned us to 'listen up good' as the last three courses had all killed someone on Night flying. The odds were not good as there were just ten of us on the course. Luckily we all survived as it was decided that flame out single engine landings at night were just too dangerous for us fledgeling pilots.
I then went to RAF Bassingbourn to convert to the Meteor
PR Mk10, before being posted to No.541
PR Squadron at to RAF Gutrersloh.
More miostly happy memories there.