Date:	Tuesday 12 February 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk III
Owner/operator:	ECFS RAF
Registration:	EE456
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Rectory Farm, near Landbeach, Cambridgeshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F. Mk. III EE456: Taken on charge by CRD (Controller Research & Development) at Gloster Aircraft, Hucclecote 3.1.46 for EFCS (Empire Central Flying School), Handling Squadron RAF at RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire

Written off (destroyed) 12.2.46 when crashed at Rectory Farm, near Landbeach, Cambridgeshire. The aircraft was seen to break cloud at 400 feet, bank to port at high speed and then dive into the ground, colliding with farm buildings. The most probable cause was loss of control in cloud.

According to the Wikipedia entry into the death of the pilot, Squadron Leader Edward Rowland "Ted" Thorn, DFC & Bar, DFM & Bar, MiD, RAF: killed

"On 12 February 1946 Thorn was a squadron leader and member of staff at the Empire Central Flying School, where early jet fighters were being flown, when he died in an accident. It is sometimes reported that he was aboard Mosquito TA525, although most reports state that the Dutch pilot of that aircraft was on a solo mission. Thorn was actually flying Gloster Meteor F.3 serial number EE456 of the Empire Central Flying School when his aircraft dived out of a cloud and crashed at Rectory Farm near Landbeach, Cambridgeshire"

Crew of Meteor EE456:
Sqn/Ldr (46957) Edward Rowland "Ted" Thorn DFC & Bar DFM & Bar MiD (Pilot) RAF: killed on active service 12.2.46, buried at St Peter Churchyard, Bishops Waltham, City of Winchester, Hampshire, England

The reported crash location of Landbeach is a small fen-edge English village about three miles (5 km) north of Cambridge. Rectory farm still exists as of 2023 on Akeman Street (the old Roman Road) near the A10 Milton Bypass, at approximate co-ordinates: 52.265°N 0.162°E

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.31. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1988 p 20)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.68
4. RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.95: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. Air Britain Aeromilitaria Summer 2009: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf p.76
6. ECFS/EFS RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1942 to 31-5-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/628: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100337
7. AIB Report AVIA 5/28/W2324: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578170
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Thorn_(RAF_officer)#Death
9. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=18163
10. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1940-1949_28.html
11. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2690787/thorn,-edward-roland/
12. Biography of Pilot: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123844579/edward-roland-thorn
13. https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/73765/Thorn-Edward-Roland-Ted.htm
14. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/46957-squadron-leader-pilot-edward-roland-thorn-dfc-and-bar-dfm-and-bar-raf.24429/
15. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Thorn.htm
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Hullavington#Royal_Air_Force
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landbeach

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Nov-2019 19:30	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Nov-2019 11:58	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
11-Jun-2021 23:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
22-Jun-2021 21:09	TB	Updated [Operator, Operator]
13-Jul-2021 16:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, Category]
13-Jul-2021 22:51	HB	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]
15-Jul-2023 00:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Narrative, Operator]]