Thanks for the link, oldbeefer. Not just for the fascinating historical content, but also to remind one how good PPRuNe once was.......:\

Thanks Old-Duffer.
 

Thanks Old-Duffer, I always liked the story, but wondered if even back then anyone would have subjected such a venerable old gent to the rigour of fast jet flight! :eek:

Reading all the way through this thread it is depressing, as well as startling, to see just how many crashes there were. On the V-Bomber crash near Marham, someone quoted just how many aircraft and aircrew the RAF lost between 1948 and 1998 and it reads like an earthquake disaster.

I have always held the RAF in great regard, but these figures increase my respect immensely.

Roger.

I was told by a reserve pilot in 1957, he had served with the RAAF in Korea, that the Meatbox could be a bit of a handfull when flown with the external fusalage tank fitted and full.

Sorry I cannot remember the full details, but was told that several aircraft had fallen foul
of this configeration.

Regards

Col

Probably all Meteors in Korea were a bit of a handful, being outclassed by all other types. However it was normal for RAF squadrons in the fifties to fly with ventral tanks at all times and I can't remember any special difficulties. You will be pushed to find photos from that time of Meteors without them. Wing drop tanks were another thing entirely causing the old darlings to wallow like a rowing boat in a high sea.

I knew F/O Roger Thomas Coulston. The crash was on 13.10.1956 and he died on 14.10.1956. He is buried at Biggin Hill Cemetry grave 224, very sad RAF headstone and getting difficult to read, saying 'The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.' His father was a vicar and he came from Devon, though I do not know where in Devon. Roger loved flying and was happy and fun. By chance I was on the beach when he flew low over Littlehampton. I am angry that the RAF could not have grouped these pilots together and kept a roll of honour in the Biggin Hill Chapel. They all deserve better. Good luck with your endeavours.

RAF Memorials
 

In the UK then (and now globally) service personnel are buried/cremated in accordance with their family's wishes.

All RAF personnel who have died are commemorated in Books of Remembrance at St Clement Danes in the Strand and there are 'copy' versions available to be looked through, although the 'real' engraved books are under glass and a page is turned each day. Since 1 Jan 48, all Service personnel who died 'on duty' - as opposed to in their beds (no disrespect intended) - are also commemorated at the Armed Forces Memorial at Alrewas (impressive place to see).

The commemoration is not made at Biggin Hill Chapel because there was never any absolute certainty of permanence about the station and as we now know, the RAF is gone and it is only by good fortune that the chapel remains.

I think you can be assured that whatever else you might think is wrong, the RAF does honour its dead. Indeed Alrewas was created in part because ONLY the RAF had a central record of all its deaths in service, with the RN close behind and the Army using the Regimental/Corps system.

O-D

Urbs, check you PMs.

f/o roger thomas coulston
 

dear sir , thankyou for placeing the news paper cutting of rogers accident 13/10/56 on the website , roger was my dads cousin and my dad had the cutting in his wallet , my dad passed away in 1984 and he told us all how close he was to roger and also carried rogers photo in his wallet and was very proud of roger, during ww2 my dad was a royal marine commando and and i look at that roger was a very special person for my dad to be so close to him, i note that a chap on one on the pages of this website that he says roger lived in devon but roger was born and came from liverpool, i read the newspaper cutting and get a lump in my throat and feel very proud of roger and all the service men and women who give there lives to protect our great country , once again a big thankyou for helping my family for finding roger, clifford coulston

Clffy 180, check your PMs.

clffy 180

If you look at my post 29 above (Page 2) in this forum you'll see a photo I took of a 41 Sqn Meteor similar to the one in which Roger Coulston died.

Although I have many B & W photos of 41 Sqn Meteors that I took whilst at Biggin, the one in post number 29 is the only one I took of a 41 Sqn Meteor in colour.

I have searched book stores and online stores for Barney's book. When I worked at MME, I never got chance to ask him for a copy. At last! I'll have to work out how to get a copy now!:D

Getting back to the original contributions about Meteors does anyone remember the chap reputed to have been given both a "red endorsment" and a "green" for the same flight in a NF11? It seems he took off at night, possibly from Duxford, and climbing in trail found he was rapidly catching up his leader until both engines stopped whereupon he managed a deadstick back on the runway from which he had departed. He hadn't noticed that the aircraft had not been refuelled.

Incidentally I remember an edict to the staff from Wg Cdr Hyland-Smith, O.C. Flying at 210 AFS Tarrant Rushton that we should not refer to the aircraft as "Meatbox" which might give some students cause for thought.

At the Coronation Review of July 1953, no fewer than 216 Meteor F.8s flew past in formation as HM the Queen took the salute at RAF Odiham

26er: I think the event you refer to was at Stradishall.

Henry,

Certainly could have been but did they have night fighters there? My recollection is that Strad was a Meteor T7/F8 AFS.

In 1957 ish Fighter Command used to publish a flight safety document monthly in which such pearls as described proliferated. Another that sticks in my mind concerned Slash Slaney who had arrived at Chivenor as a tactical instructor. A group of us were discussing the latest incident which concerned a Thursday excercise when all the airfields were "red" but sector nevertheless scrambled a pair of Hunters. After a fruitless trip around the South East the time came to return. The only place vaguely workable was Biggin. As the pair of brave aviators were being GCA'd, through a hole in the overcast the wingman glimpsed a runway and made a dart at it. It turned out to be Kenley. His lead got down at Biggin. Both were flying on fumes. Slash in his sardonic fashion said "that was me". The controller who had initiated the scramble had gone to lunch!

Sorry Henry, it was Odiham. I went to school on the south side of the airfield and remember wave after wave of Meteors and Vampires practicing for the big day. (Less than five years later I too was airborne in a Meteor 8, enjoying the clear blue skies of Cyprus).

RAF Royal Review 15th July 1953

brakedwell: You are confusing one post with another.
I was refering to the post by 26er about a pilot who reputedly was awarded a green and red endorsement for the same trip.

I am well aware that the Coronation Review was at Odiham, I participated in it. :)

26er: yes, Strad had N/F's in the form of 125 and 89 in the mid 1950's.

Apologies Henry :ouch:

Hello Clunkdriver, did you ever have your photo taken with Roger at the Gliding Club, when a chap called Brennan visited (think he was luftwaffe) - it went into the local paper? Plane Roger crashed in was meteor 8 no.WA855 - a reject for Paris trip, having failed drop-tank test, so Roger, desperate to fly again after being grounded for low-flying, took it up instead of another Meteor that passed the test and went to France (I assume!). Of course, the plane was air-worthy when it took off from Biggin, but an hour later something happened (still trying to work out what), and he crashed it in Sidcup (Foots Cray), landing in ejector seat through trees onto tarmac driveway of a rectory. I have the photo of the Gliding Club, by the way, and would be glad to send if we are able to link up through this website? Plus anything else you would like to know, I will do my best to answer.

Hello Urbs, bit of background on Roger Coulston. His uncle Jim was the minister of a church in Toxteth, Liverpool. His dad, Tom, was in the RAF during WW2 - rank T/C; group 5; trade class. ACH/P.T.I (1941). Later Tom and wife ran approved school at Foston, Derbyshire. Then moved to Totnes in Devon, where they ran a boys home - Critchel Hostel (now demolished). This was Roger's home during the fifties. Later his mum and dad retired to Ashburton in Devon. Glad to know you knew him personally as I didn't, but been following his career with interest and know he was a bit of a character. Lined up Totnes in a Hunter once, and broke sound barrier over the town. Later phoned his parents, who announced huge bang just that morning... It got in the local paper. Roger liked things like that! Wish he had spoken more on R/T and on the ground after the crash, to explain what he was experiencing regarding what went wrong with the plane. Lack of info. means we don't know exactly what happened. Shame.