Date:	Monday 26 April 1954
Time:	23:45
Type:	Gloster Meteor NF Mk 14
Owner/operator:	85 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WS746
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	5 miles south of Eastbourne, West Sussex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Meteor WS746: Written off (destroyed) 26 April 1954 when crashed into the English Channel, five miles south of Eastbourne, East Sussex. Aircraft abandoned at night when ran out of fuel over the sea.(However, according to one source - see link #3 - the "low fuel" warning was possibly spurious, and the Meteor was NOT low on, or out of, fuel). The navigator ejected safely, the pilot was killed, but his body was not found until it was washed ashore some six weeks later (early in June 1954).

From 85 Squadron O.R.B, April 1954:
"FATAL ACCIDENT:
A Squadron aircraft, Meteor Mark 14 No WS 746, piloted by Fg.Off. P.G. DOWE, failed to return from a sortie of practise interception on April 26th. Fg.Off. DOWE took off at 22.55 hours and crashed into the sea at 23.45 hours following a report that he was short of fuel. His navigator, Fg.Off. P.M. ROLFE, baled out successfully at 4,000 feet and was picked up by a lifeboat a few miles off the coast near Bexhill. No trace of the aircraft or pilot has so far been found. A Court of Inquiry has been convened."

According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Eastbourne Herald" - Saturday 12 June 1954)

"Body Identified as Missing Airman
The body of an unidentified man, found near Cooden, Bexhill, earlier this week, has now been identified as that of the pilot of a Meteor jet aircraft which crashed into the sea off Eastbourne on April 27. Eastbourne lifeboatmen raced to the scene of the crash and were able to rescue one of the two airmen in the aircraft, but there was no sign of the other. At yesterday's inquest on the pilot, Flying Officer P. G. Dowe, an open verdict was returned."
Crew :
F/O (2520847) Paul Gordon DOWE (Pilot) RAF - killed in flying accident 26/4/1954, body washed ashore near Bexhill, East Sussex 9/6/1954;
F/O (4085279) Patrick Maurice ROLFE (Nav.) RAF - bailed out successfully, rescued, and survived

Sad to note that, however, while F/O Rolfe "lived to fly another day" he was tragically killed in another accident just over a year later, in the crash of Meteor WS662 on 30 June 1955.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.158 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 12)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.53-540
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WS
5. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.742900485763057&type=3
6. http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/Chesterton.html
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=7795.0
8. 85 Squadron ORB (Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for 01 January 1951 to 31 December 1955: File AIR 27/2704/28 at the National Archives (PRO Kew) at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8427643
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92751960/paul-gordon-dowe
.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Feb-2020 19:58	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Feb-2020 22:20	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Operator]
17-Feb-2020 22:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
17-Feb-2020 22:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
08-Apr-2020 17:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
27-May-2020 07:28	MIG29	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Operator]
23-Aug-2022 12:11	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]