Date:	Friday 29 February 1952
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	66 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WH342
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	The Retreat Mental Hospital, Heslington Road, York, North Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire (EGXU)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Written off 29/2/1952: Collided with Meteor F.8 WE961 "N" of 66 Sqn, RAF in formation & lost tail. WH342 came down on the The Retreat Mental Hospital, 107 Heslington Road, York, North Yorkshire; WE961 landed safely back at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. According to the following published report ("Burntwood Family History Group", see link #7):

"On Friday the 29th February 1952, thousands of people in York were watching a formation of eight Meteor jet aircraft flying over the city. In the skies, onlookers saw the tail of one aircraft break away and the machine plummet to earth. The tail of the aircraft crashed into the cemetery. The main part of the aircraft crashed in the grounds of The Retreat Mental Hospital, 107 Heslington Road, hitting the recreation room, and tearing off part of the roof.

Fortunately no one in the hospital was hurt. A member of the hospital staff said that it was a mercy that the machine had not travelled another 10 yards. If it had it would have landed in a male ward.

Two cleaners had just left the recreation room after completing their cleaning duties. And they had followed patients in that had left the room 20 minutes before the incident.

A joiner working on the premises, Mr Herbert HUDSON, 20, of 64 Bootham Road, said that he saw the jet fighters flying in formation when one dived away from the rest. There was a terrible noise as the aircraft crashed.

Councillor L. SPOFFORTH, who, with The Retreat Fire Prevention Officer, was on duty near the recreation room said the plane came down almost vertically with a screech and hit the roof.

Another witness said that although he watched the machine as it hurtled earthwards he saw no sign of anyone leaving it by parachute. So far as I could see, the pilot did not bale out before I lost sight of the machine behind a clump of trees. There was a loud explosion almost immediately afterwards, he said.

Standing at the door of his Francis Street, Fulford home, Mr S KIRKHAM saw the crash. He said that he was admiring the aircraft as they flew over in flights of four, it was a marvellous sight. As they passed over I saw one break away and drop. I ran to the top of the lane but all I could see was the tail spinning gently to earth.

Another witness said that the tail seemed to fall off and the two parts separated like falling leaves.

John was the only occupant and the pilot flying the Meteor F.8 fighter, WH342, from 66 Squadron that crashed. He was the last of a second flight of four aircraft which had been flying over the city on a training flight from Linton-on-Ouse.

Some of the hospital staff stood by for rescue work. There was a full turnout of York Fire Brigade, but the wreckage of the machine which formed a mangled heap of twisted metal did not burst into flames. One witness said that it was just as if someone had swept the wreck into a neat pile against the wall.

John’s body was later removed from the wreckage by airmen. Rumours quickly spread around York that afternoon that a second plane involved in the accident had also crashed.

An Air Ministry spokesman commenting on the reports said that although two aircraft touched each other in flight, only one of them crashed. The other returned to the base at Linton on Ouse and landed safely.

An Air Ministry statement said the machine was one which took off from Linton on Ouse on a squadron formation cross country flight. The planes had been in the air for about 65 minutes when the crash occurred. York Police said they were unable to confirm rumours about a second crash.

John’s death was registered at York in the January / February / March quarter of 1952, Volume 2d Page 922.

John’s funeral took place at Christchurch, Burntwood on Tuesday 4th March 1952. The service was conducted by the Vicar, (the Rev. C. C. D. LEWIS) (see also) and Mr A. J. ROSTER was at the organ.

Attending the service were John’s parents who were living at Waterworks House, Maple Brook, Chorley. Also in attendance were Flt.-Lt. HAWARD and P/O CORRASHAW from F/O PATERSON’s camp, Lynton-on-Ouse.

The coffin, draped with a Union Jack, was borne to the grave by three cousins, Messrs. J. HULME, A. KNIGHT and W. SIMKINS.

There were upwards of 40 wreaths, including the Royal Air Force Wings from the Camp and another from Mr and Mrs R. A. ROBERTSON, engineer-in-chief South Staffordshire Waterworks, who were represented by Mr A. PYNE, mechanical Engineer."

Crew of Meteor WH342:
P/O (3054087) John Speirs PATERSON (Pilot) RAF killed. He died the day before his 25th birthday.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p.225
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 12)
4. York Press 1 March 2012: https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9563243.anniversary-marked-of-jet-plane-crashing-at-the-retreat-in-york/
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WH
6. 66 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 27/2627/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8424987
7. http://bfhg.org.uk/Z-Burntwood-Servicemen-PATERSON-John-Speirs.php
8. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38456/supplement/6006/data.pdf .
9. http://www.nhs.uk/Services/hospitals/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=30601 .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jun-2008 19:21	JINX	Added
11-May-2015 19:58	DB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
28-May-2017 22:22	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
28-May-2017 22:23	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
28-May-2017 22:24	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
14-May-2021 14:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
14-May-2021 14:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
14-May-2021 14:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
19-May-2021 09:24	Anon.	Updated [Narrative, Operator]