Date:	Thursday 8 November 1951
Time:	15:05 LT
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	56 (Punjab) Sqn RAF
Registration:	WE950
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near The Old Rectory, Green Lane, Christchurch, Cambridgeshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
WE950: Delivered to the RAF at 8 MU Little Rissington 21.5.51. First issued to 56 Sqn 3.7.51 coded A. Belly landed in a field after both engines cut, Christchurch, Cambridgeshire 8.11.51. According to a published report in the local parish magazine (see link #3)

"Meteor F.8 No. WE950 crashed in Christchurch on November 8th 1951 at 15.05 hours, narrowly missing Townley School, and other village homes. It landed in the field to the rear of The Old Rectory. The pilot was Sgt. John Atkinson, service number 578987.

The apparent reason for the crash was a ‘double-extinction’; meaning that the burners in both engines had gone out. This was caused by the throttle being opened too quickly. Due to inexperience with this particular aircraft, and the fact that he had entered cloud immediately after the ‘extinction’, the pilot did not fully realise what had happened and had made no attempt to relight the engine.

It had only been due to the flying skill of the pilot that he had managed to avoid hitting the school and any other Christchurch homes. Otherwise Townley School and much of the village could have been lost in the crash.

The plane was a write-off, although the Meteor was seemingly relatively undamaged in the crash, save for the loss of its undercarriage and tail. The pilot’s skill meant that he survived the crash and was helped from his plane by Mr Wolsey Rolfe who ran the village garage at the time. The pilot was taken to the military hospital at Ely after the crash".

Pilot, Sgt J.Atkinson injured. Aircraft damage assessed as Cat 4(R); re-cat as 5(C) 8.12.51 and struck off charge

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.122 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 194
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1983)
4. 56 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 31/12/1955: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2620/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8424700
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WE
6. http://www.theheron.info/PDFs/2015/New%20Heron%20Oct%2015.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch,_Cambridgeshire

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jun-2008 22:05	JINX	Added
15-Jan-2012 15:02	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source]
28-May-2017 22:51	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
28-May-2017 22:52	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
13-Feb-2021 19:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source]