Date:	Sunday 26 August 1956
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	615 (County of Surrey) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WE853
MSN:	AWA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hemingstone, 7 miles North of Ipswich, Suffolk -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 WE853: delivered 10/05/1951. Operational service career was with 41 Squadron, and (from 4/3/55) 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron. RAF Biggin Hill (coded "A")

Written off (destroyed) 26/8/56: At the end of a practice interception sortie this aircraft, which had broken away from its formation, attempted to rejoin the formation. However, while trying to do so, it collided with the leader of another formation, and both aircraft crashed, killing both pilots in each aircraft. Both aircraft came down near Hemingstone, 7 miles North of Ipswich, Suffolk

Crew of Meteor WE853:
Flying Officer John Oliver HOLDSWORTH, RAF (pilot, Service Number 2547372, aged 24) - killed on active service 26/8/56.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.182 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 35)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.209
4. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron ORB (Operational Records Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for period 1/1/55 to 31/3/57: File AIR 27/2713/3 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8428074
5. http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1956.htm
6. http://simviation.com//lair/casualty%201956.htm
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._615_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemingstone

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2008 14:03	JINX	Added
10-Jun-2008 07:06	JINX	Updated
10-Jan-2012 15:56	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source]
25-Oct-2013 09:37	DustyRN	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative]
25-Jun-2020 17:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]