Date:	Saturday 12 April 1952
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 8
Owner/operator:	41 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WF700
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Philmead Road/Watlington Road, South Benfleet, Essex -   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 WF700, 41 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 12/4/52 due to engine fire. Pilot abandoned aircraft (ejected) when it became obvious that the fire could not be extinguished. According to the pilot, in a 2012 posting to the "Flypast forum" website (see link #9):

"The cause of the accident was a turbine disc failure in the starboard engine which disintegrated and set fire to the fuel tanks. The fire was the cause of my hasty exit. I was taken to Southend Hospital. I recovered from my injuries and subsequently went on to fly Hunters, Canberras, Valiants and Vulcans. I left the Royal Air Force in 1969".

According to an eyewitness report, published on a local history website (see link #7)

"RAF Meteor Jet Crash
Eye witness account by Dave Cowan

I was in the garden at Watlington Road, Benfleet around lunch time on the 12th April 1952 with my father and uncle. I went indoors as my mother called me in as a meal was ready, immediately there was a roar, followed by a scream from my father and uncle followed by a large bang. I looked out of the door and my father and uncle were on the ground with their arms over their heads, there was the sound of things falling from the sky. I went out into the front garden and there was mud, metal and chickens laying everywhere. Dead chickens were hanging from the telegraph wires; some houses had holes in their roof. Across the road was smoke coming up from the gardens between Philmead Road and Watlington Road.

Luckily no one was hurt but a RAF aircraft had crashed in our neighbours’ gardens. Investigators came down and tried to collect all the parts of the aircraft to establish the cause, however many bits were squirreled away by young lads who just wanted a trophy.

A brief mention in ‘The Times’ on Monday 14 April 1952 stated:

“JET AIRCRAFT CRASH

An RAF jet aircraft from Biggin Hill station in Kent crashed on a bungalow estate at South Benfleet Essex on Saturday, killing 18 birds in a chicken house. The pilot bailed out and landed safely at Rawreth, fives miles away”

Crew:
Squadron Leader John "Dusty" MILLER (pilot, and Commanding Officer of 41 Squadron, RAF at the time) RAF - Ejected OK, but sustained bruises during parachute deployment, tore cartilage on landing.

As stated above, he returned to active flying duties, being awarded the AFC (Air Force Cross) in 1953, rising through the ranks to be awarded a CBE and becoming an Air Commodore. He retired from the RAF in April 1969, and died on 4 January 2019, aged 97.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p 127. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 236
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 39)
4. 41 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 27/2612/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8424251
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/86: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424207
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2567: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578413
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WF
8. https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/content/browse-articles/the_armed_forces/military-matters/raf_meteor_jet_crash
9. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/89001-meteor-wf700-crashed-benfleet-essex-1952
10. https://www.facebook.com/41sqnRAF/posts/2497426103818050
11. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/air-commodore-john-dusty-miller-obituary-0hk58dtnh
12. https://www.seekanddestroy.info/blog/air-commodore-john-dusty-miller-oc-41-squadron
13. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/03/31/air-commodore-dusty-miller-pilot-awarded-dfc-hunting-shipping/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jun-2008 22:33	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 07:28	Coumes	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative]
27-Aug-2016 14:31	Anon.	Updated [Departure airport]
31-Dec-2019 17:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
31-Dec-2019 17:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
04-Mar-2021 15:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Mar-2021 16:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]