Date:	Tuesday 9 May 1950
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk 4
Owner/operator:	CFE RAF
Registration:	VT234
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	The Wash, off Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF West Raynham, Fakenham, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor F.Mk.4 VT234, CFE (Central Fighter Establishment), RAF: Written off (destroyed) 9 May 1950 when crashed into The Wash, off Holbeach, Lincolnshire.

The aircraft was number two in a formation with a course pupil acting as the lead aircraft. The formation descended over the sea in mist and fog with tops at 600 feet. The lead aircraft emerged from the fog at low latitude, and immediately pulled up, but it is though that the number two aircraft (VT234) may not have seen the surface of the water in time, and flew into the sea with fatal results.

Crew of Meteor VT234:
Squadron Leader Constantine Oliver Joseph Pegge, RAF, DFC & Bar (pilot, Service Number 41317, aged 46) - killed on active service 9 May 1950, buried in East Raynham Churchyard on 16th June 1950.

Constantine Oliver Joseph Pegge was born in Slough, Buckinghamshire in July 1914. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in August 1938.

With his training completed, he was serving with 'B' Flight of No. 1 AACU, Carew Cheriton by November 1939. He crashed Hawker Henley L3283 at Farnborough on 24th November on a ferry flight.

Pegge moved from 'B' Flight to 'J' Flight No. 1 AACU, when it was formed at Farnborough on 1st December 1939. It moved to Penrhos on 16th February 1940.

He arrived at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 27th May 1940, and after converting to Spitfires joined 610 Squadron at Gravesend on 16th June 1940. On 8th July 1940, Pegge claimed a Me109 destroyed, on 12th August, two more, and on the 18th, a Me109 destroyed and a He111 damaged. On the return to Biggin Hill, his Spitfire, R6694, was damaged by a Me109 and then further damaged by running into a bomb crater on landing. Pegge was unhurt. On 9th June, Pegge was given command of 127 Squadron in the Western Desert. He destroyed a Me109 on 8th July, and two Ju87’s on 2nd September.

He left the squadron in April 1943 and returned to the UK. In September 1944. Pegge went to 126 Squadron at Bradwell Bay as a supernumerary Squadron Leader. He took command of 131 Squadron at Friston in October, and led it until June 1945. He was then posted to command 607 (County of Durham) Squadron in Burma, which he did until its disbandment at Mingaladon on 19th August 1945. Pegge was awarded a Bar to the DFC. Pegge was killed on 9th May 1950 as per the above.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.101 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.55
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
5. https://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/squadronprofile.php?SquadronID=313
6. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Pegge.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Dec-2020 00:07	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Dec-2020 10:09	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]