Originally Posted by
GeeRam
The only RAF service loss of one in the Irish Sea I believe, as the other 3 or 4 that ended up in the Irish Sea were all being flown by EE/BAC TP's during the early development days IIRC.
Including, what I believe was the first Lightning loss, XL628 (a prototype T4). John Squier ejected at an indicated m1.6 at between 30.000 and 40,000 feet. He was presumed dead when searchers failed to find him, he came ashore in his dinghy 28 hours later. I remember reading his account as a youth - probably in Roland Beaumont's Lightning Book.