Date:	Wednesday 17 September 1952
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor T Mk 7
Owner/operator:	20 MU RAF
Registration:	WL454
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Cranham Wood, near Stroud, Gloucestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:	RAF Aston Down, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WL454, 20 MU RAF Aston Down: delivered 1/9/1952. Written off 17/9/1952 when crashed at Cranham Wood, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. Meteor WL454 was still on charge with 20 MU RAF Aston Down, where it had been delivered just 17 days earlier. WL454 was one of three aircraft carrying out a demonstration flight over Gloucester. After completing two runs over the City of Gloucester, the lead aircraft turned to starboard, and entered cloud and rain, which covered the hills to the east of the City of Gloucester.

Meteor WL454 was flying as the number three aircraft of the formation; as a result, it was flying at a lower altitude than the other two aircraft. When the formation turned to starboard, it flew into the ground at Cranham Wood, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. Both crew were killed

Crew of Meteor WL454
Sergeant (787052) Frantisek BARTOS (Pilot, aged 34) - killed in service 17/9/1952, buried at Priory Church of the Annunciation Churchyard, Woodchester, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Flying Officer (2495201) Eric Ernest James QUIRK, RAF (navigator) - killed in service 17/9/1952

The pilot, Sergeant Frantisek Bartos, was born in what became the Czech Republic on 6 April 1918. He was a very experienced pilot, having served in WWII with 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron.

Cranham is a village in the English county of Gloucestershire. Forming part of the district of Stroud it is to be found a mile or so east of the A46 road between Stroud and Cheltenham.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4. p 134)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.294
4. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WL
5. https://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranham,_Gloucestershire
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182009645/frantisek-bartos
8. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/frantisek-bartos.123122/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Mar-2021 21:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
24-Mar-2021 19:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
07-Apr-2021 17:40	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
12-Apr-2021 20:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]