Boscombe Down Lightning XG335 Crash

[Aeronut]

The son of Sqn Ldr J Whitaker recently posted the following on a Facebook page local to the crash site of Lightning XG335. I’ve copied it here to give greater exposure in the hope there may be further recollections of the incident.


In January 1965 when I was 4 & lived in Andover, my father who was a test pilot for the RAF had to eject from his Electric lightning jet over Larkhill ranges. Thankfully he was OK.
He never really talked about it & now he’s sadly gone after a long & good life & I am hoping someone in the area can shed some light on the events of 58 years ago.
Now – given the crash was around tea-time / took out overhead power cables / skidded past some cottages / crashed through a wood & came to rest on fire near the Seven Stars pub (Bottlesford) you would have thought there would be some photos or newspaper reports or something ??
I can’t find anything other than official crash reports as attached.
Anyway, any additional information or links would be really appreciated.
Thanks
James

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/720x1280/0230bd79_644e_4c65_9035_2c600f6f0da7_046eb981e37c063129cb79b ef817b060c84ddb9f.jpeg

[Archimedes]

https://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/FastFetch/UBER2/TGRH-1965-0112-0015?legacy=no&highlight=00ff00+.7+191+5474+129+33&highlight=00ff00+.7+390+5509+122+27&crop=71+5453+498+262&format=jpeg

Daily Telegraph the following day.

[Archimedes]

https://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/FastFetch/UBER2/DMIRF0002-C00000-N19650112-00200?legacy=no&highlight=00ff00+.7+2919+2941+358+40&crop=2323+1935+967+2218&format=jpeg

[Aeronut]

Thanks Archimedes

[John Nichol]

There is a paragraph of information about the incident on page 24 of Peter Caygill's book, "Lightning Eject"

[XG335]

Thanks Aeronut.

Thanks John - will take a look.

Thanks Archimedes - do you know which newspaper this was or same as above ?

Appreciated & keep them coming

Think I might write a small book..."The last Flight of XG335" just for fun.

Regards, James Whitaker

[Archimedes]

Sorry, must have edited out the credit for the 2nd clipping when trying to get it to a vaguely sensible size- it’s from the Daily Mirror from the day after the accident.

[Aeronut]

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/e4e8a4a0_5be5_41a9_acdd_8f9f79524884_f1b232dc8ba2e8493f4d62d 4291c11282b1d4f55.jpeg
I visited the crash site today. A peaceful wood with little trace now. Is Sqn Ldr Whitaker’s touch down location known?

[chevvron]

I did a short stint as Air Controller at RAE Larkhill in 1975.
I recall the briefing for ejections was to vector the aircraft onto the 327 deg radial (from the Boscombe TACAN) and for the pilot to then set the controls for a premeditated 'crash' within the impact area on that heading.

[DaveReidUK]

These are the locations mentioned in the reports, including the pub and the HT cables, which seem consistent with that final heading of 327°.

I assume the Telegraph's reference to "Wilcot" should read Hilcott.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/525x543/xg335_0fdfc07e2f0faf66f91cf28561d010ee58a6881d.jpg

[Aeronut]

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1080x1755/40070628_9236_4402_94fb_a9a7ee67622f_58abb1f2bbfbbecb724ec0d dd5bd5511f4eef4c5.jpeg
An eyewitness to the crash posted this map on the local Facebook page. The x being the pylon and the o the impact area.

I wonder where the good Sqn Ldr landed in his parachute?

[wrecker]

Thanks Aeronut.

Thanks John - will take a look.

Thanks Archimedes - do you know which newspaper this was or same as above ?

Appreciated & keep them coming

Think I might write a small book..."The last Flight of XG335" just for fun.

Regards, James Whitaker
James Did you father have an interest in gliding and did he go on to be (possibly) CFI at Southampton UAS based at Hamble?

[prbw]

He was certainly CFI at Moonrakers RAFGSA at Upavon in 95/96 - I recall introducing him to the daughter of the licensees of the 7 Stars at Bottlesford!

[Fitter2]

He was certainly CFI at Moonrakers RAFGSA at Upavon in 95/96 - I recall introducing him to the daughter of the licensees of the 7 Stars at Bottlesford!

65/66 I think (or maybe a little later, Ed Meddings was CFI in 65.) I know because I organised the closing down dinner in71 when Moonrakers shut down. I wondered if it was the same S/L Whitaker. Played a very competent jazz trumpet, ran a Bedford Dormobile camper van but would also sometimes arrive en famille in a Messserscmitt bubble car, his wife (Sylvia?) in the back with a child on each knee and he drove it with one of the boys in the front on his lap. Not sure what a policeman would have said.....

[wrecker]

I think my recolection of him is at Wessex RAFGSA at Andover in around 62.
I have a feeling the family lived in a house on the way to Enham Alamain

[Fitter2]

Hi wrecker. Yes,
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/948x640/location_51b894277cd966f4e29fac5f68a2c106a1eceb0a.png
This one.

[Tarnished]

UK Flight Testing Accidents 1940-71 : Derek Collier Webb (flyingbooks.co.uk) (https://www.flyingbooks.co.uk/acatalog/UK-Flight-Testing-Accidents-1940-71.html)

British Flight Test accidents 40-71 might help, I have a copy but am not at home just now to check for you. Home on Friday can check then unless someone clever has an online version they can access

Regards
Tarnished

[XG335]

Thanks Tarnished. If you or someone could look that would be great.
Accidentally clicked on the other link.... :)

[XG335]

Wow... is that my house in Andover. Is there a hill. I remember a family coming down the hill in a reliant robin & rolling it on the bend ??? Mum brought them in for hot drinks etc whilst police etc arrived ???
Glenmoor I think the name was.
Dad used to park his messerschmitt (bubble car not the plane :)) on the tarmac drive & when I got up, I thought the damp shadow left was evidence that Batman had visited overnight.... I was less than 5 BTW.

[XG335]

Thanks wrecker - see threads below.

[XG335]

Hi Fitter - thanks for the posts - I tried to reply to the PM but is says my message box is full - odd as I haven't used it.
Anyhow - Dad (Andy) & Mum (Sylvia) were both avid gliders.
I recall being taken up with Dad on his lap many times - sure that's not allowed now either.
Messershmitt - bane of Mums life but Dad loved them. Worth a fortune now but then they were just scrap. When Mum wasn't in the back, I (being the youngest of 3) would be there as tail gunner.
Later on, once at school we would be mortified if we were ever picked up in it as invariably Dad would have to bump start it....the whole canopy hinged to the side so dad would push it running along side it with me & my sister in the back, & once started he'd jump in & pull the canopy shut :=.
Dormobile - indeed - many hours chasing gliders.
Jazz - Dad carried on in several Jazz bands right up to a year from his death at 84. Cant post the link as too new to this group but if you google Youtube - Down by the riverside - Grandpa's spells, that should get you there.

[India Four Two]

I tried to reply to the PM but is says my message box is full - odd as I haven't used it.

That's because you are new - the PM functionality does not work until you have 10 posts.
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[XG335]

Noted with thanks :)