North Luffenham- OCU238
 

I was posted to North Luffenham as a Nat Serviceman in May 1955.As an ex Hawker Aircraft apprentice I was an instant SAC Airframe Mech. The RCAF had vacated the site leaving masses of unwanted equipment,mainly furniture,crates, bicycles and general debris in the hangers. All trades were tasked to dispose of this,usually by hugh bonfires, and gradually RAF equipment was delivered and I believe 4 squadrons were quickly established . The hangers had been re-roofed prior to our arrival and new prefabricated Squadron Headquarters erected close to the respective hangers.All this was in place by June /July 1955 and the Meteors Mk 12's and 14's had began arriving. I was in No.1 Squadron and we were billeted adjacent to the cookhouse building, 18 to a room. Two groups were formed to man a day shift and a night shift and lack of organisation ment each billet had mixed trades and mixed shifts ! This led to a request that on the Thursday Squadron inspection those who had been on night shift should attempt to sleep tidily, at attention !!
Flying in earnest began about July ,as I recall, initially with daytime sorties and familiarisation in pairs followed by the night sorties.
The radar was not 100 percent reliable and the wireless boys were constantly replacing M/W guides or complete units and quite a few sorties were abhorted as a result. The day shift was from 8.am till 5 pm and the night shift went on till ,on average, 3 am dependant upon successful sorties or otherwise .
I recall two serious incidents during my time at Luffenham.
A Meteor returning from a night sortie attempted a very long and low landing approach which resulted in it crashing into the high ground behind the quarry at Ketton Cement Works.It hit one wing first and cartwheeled before coming to rest having lost it's tail section, outer wings and all the fuselarge foreward of the cockpit. The pilot managed to climb down into the quarry and alert the night manager and the navigator was rescued.Both survived with minor injuries !
The other incident was again a night trip when the radar was very accurate and the chaser plane ran right up the rear of the quarry plane, over Derby. I believe two aircrew survived this disaster.
I have two photos relating to these events.
There were a number of 'minor' incidents in the two years.
Aircraft attempting take off --down runway--NO AIRSPEED !---pitot cover had been left on (no red flag attached) --heavy breaking--lots of smoke !!

Winter time, 1 ft of snow--belly fuel tank fitted to Meteor.Taxiing forward --nosewheel chock hidden by snow--chock puntures tank ! Lots of recriminations !

Winter time , about 3 days later. Repeat of above --All hell breaks loose !!

Grassed areas at each end of pan excavated, to be filled with concrete. Taxiing Meteor of No.2 Squadron goes nose down into hole.Great laughter from No.1 Squadron !

Meteor lands well down the runway and continues at the end, through hedges,across the road and downhill into the field, wheels down.

The ground crews were all equiped with bicycles to get out and about the airfield and these were in RAF colours with red/white and blue roundals on the mudguards and ident nos -- clones of the Meteors !!
The experiences are still remembered 55 years later.

Good show Ted and welcome

classjazz
 

An accident concerning a Meteor was the first aircraft accident I saw. I can't remember the date (early 50's or even late 40's) but I was on a beach holiday with my parents at Filey in East Yorkshire. I was paddling in the sea when a 4 ship formation turned in towards the coast, probably heading back to Driffield. As they approached, one of the rear aircraft in the formation simply broke up in mid air. Both wings seemed to separate simultaneously and one wing plus engine landed between two caravans on the cliff top. We visited the "smoking hole" later in the day (no sign of it being cordoned off) This was certainly not the oft quoted incident of the Flamborough Head accident but I've never seen my witnessed accident mentioned since or heard of structural failure in the air with the Meteor.
Some years later when I was working on a Station Flight - awaiting being called forward for aircrew training - there was a Master Pilot who used the Staion Meatbox for his air taxi home at the weekends. Ah well.........

Midair structural failures were not uncommon, (we had no G meters) but were mostly away from the public eye.

I only witnessed one, Coningsby 19/9/53, a Mk8 of 74 Sqn suffered a double mainplane failure at about 2-300 ft as he was starting a slow roll.

There were pieces scattered far and wide.
It was disconcerting to see the wreckage being cleared as I taxied out shortly after.

"Puddy" Catt
 

Anyone who lived through those days at Brawdy and has no memory of the "Legend" must have been living on another planet!!
His "beating up" of the airfield in the Meteor shall forever stay in my mind! (And it was a sound that I`ll never forget!) As did his low level flight at full throttle over the dunes of Pembrey in a Hunter!
I`m sure that the yachtsman who had strayed into the no-go zone shall never forget it either!!
The Range Sergeant in the Tower was none too impressed though, I seem to remember!!
I was there with a fire wagon that day to cover the first live firing of the Hawk at the range.

Meteor Accidents
 

Lawrek 03, you seem to have disappeared. I may be able to help re Ces Crook, and (new subject!) accidents at Sek Kong in the 1950s, about which you were asking.

Meteor at Chivenor, FAC/ACO training
 

The Meteor was still being used for FAC/ACO training in North Devon circa 1968/9. I was on 604 FAC with my boss Flt Lt Peter Maillard - Meteor pilot was Flt Lt Bill ??

Meteor crash in Kirkcaldy, Fife Scotland
 

I believe a 2 seat Meteor came down on the North side of Kirkcaldy killing both crew members in Autumn 1957 (or possibly 1958).

It was about 2 weeks before the new Kirkcaldy High School was opened and I recall visiting the site as a teenager.

Does anyone have any details of this accident? I drive past it frequently and there is no memorial.

Broken Wings entry.

18.10.57, Meteor T7, WL368, CFE CF, 2m N of Kirkcaldy, Fife, lost control; flew into ground in bad visibility (2).

Meteor crash Kirkcaldy
 

Thanks for the very fast response!

In the record of Meteor accidents in Nick Carter's book, Meteor Eject, the entry for this crash has: WL368 7 CFE 18/10/57 Pax had suitcase on lap - pilot and pax killed

Kirkcaldy Meteor
 

When I told my wife that the accident had been due to poor visibility she immediately replied "That's rubbish - it was a beautiful day!"
In my usual loving and affectionate way I said. "What the f==k do you know about it, you were only only about 9 or 10 years old!"
Well, once I had picked myself up and retrieved most of my teeth it transpired that she had been in her aunt's flat about 1 mile west of the site.
They heard the plane go over and crash. Her uncle, an off-duty PC, put his uniform on and went out on crowd-control duty.
Loss of control in poor visibilty?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I have no idea what the weather was like, but a suitcase on the lap in the back seat of a Mk 7 is asking for trouble.

We alway put our luggage in the radio compartment in the rear of the fuselage.

Ricardian,

The Meteors were used in 1968/9 for FAC training occasionally. The Meteor flight commander was Dave Chaiken and the Meteor IRE was Flt Lt Dave (?) Hill. There were also two Chipmunks (Flt Lt Bill Arrowsmith) moved to Chivenor from Middle Wallop for introduction flights for pongos. I flew FAC sorties in all three types. Dec 68 took Lt S. and Capt. W. up in back seat of T7 and a couple of days later in Hunter T7.

Meteor crash in Kirkcaldy, Fife Scotland
 

I asked my wife about the weather that day and she said it had been raining in the morning but by the time of the accident the sun was shining. She was out in the garden playing with her cousin, heard the plane but did not see it. Seems unlikely that weather was the cause.

Meteor accidents
 

They tried to teach me to fly an Oxford in 1952 with limited success so I transferred to a Nav course. There were about 20 on the Oxford course that went forward on to Jets, three of those had died before I left NS. ( I think it was Oxfords-Meteors and Harvard-Vampire generally)
I think I was glad I failed, but I would have like to stay a Pilot, and would have probably stayed in if I had been good enough.

FAC/ACO training
 

Thanks for that Mike. Bill Arrowsmith was the chap whose name escaped me. A donkey walloper (Maj Dick Gravestone?) was the GLO who liaised with local farmers for ground based locations. Interesting times training AAC heli pilots to be FAC or ACO especially when the AAC refuelling tanker got bogged down in heavy ground.

kirkcaldy crash 1957
 

Im doing an article for The Courier in kirkcaldy on a possible memorial for the two men killed in this crash in 1957.

I have been in touch with the family but still need as much background information as possible on what happened that day.

extra information about the plane would also be appreciated, as from what I have read on this forum it sounds like they were not too reliable?

My email address is [email protected]

Graeme,
In order to give due respect to those two men, try and make your article as accurate as possible!
I think you will find everybody here will be willing to help you out.

Update on the infamous "Puddy" Catt....
 

I was searching this forum for any recent reference regarding "Puddy" and this thread showed as the most recent, so excuse my interruption please..

I've just received a rather nice letter from him which has him in good spirits albeit rather marooned at home due to some comically described building works taking place outside his home. He is still going strong, and still as eccentric as ever, which I rather enjoy to be honest...

I haven't had the chance to pop down and meet him this year, but always try and do so when in the area on hols (Pembrokeshire).

I'm sure fellow forumites will be pleased to know he is still with us, as he has never forgotten reports of his apparent demise being circulated on the web (he finds that suitably amusing of course)...

In his letter, he hints at the faint possibility of acquiring a new phone line and internet access in the not-to-distant future, but with his wicked dislike for such modern communication I can't hold him to that. (It isn't his idea, more a plan by his landowner.....lol)

Anyway, I'll leave it at that, and hope some of you will be happy at the news!!!

Regards

Pete Buckingham