Date:	Friday 17 May 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor F Mk III
Owner/operator:	56 (Punjab) Sqn RAF
Registration:	EE363
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Drydale Bottom, 1 mile NE of RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Bentwaters, nr Woodbridge, Suffolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor EE363: On 24-8-45, 124 Squadron moved to RAF Molesworth, for conversion to the Gloster Meteor, the RAF's first jet fighter, Meteor EE363 arriving three days later on 27-8-45. In October 1945 the unit transferred to RAF Bentwaters, and in February 1946 to RAF Fairwood Common, before being disbanded at RAF Bentwaters on 1-4-46, becoming No. 56 Squadron RAF.

56 (F) Squadron left RAF Bentwaters on 16-9-46, moving to RAF Boxted, Essex. They remained here before relocating on 10-11-46 to RAF Acklington, eventually moving on to RAF Wattisham on 20-12-46

Hit trees on formation take-off and crash landed, RAF Bentwaters, near Woodbridge, Suffolk 17-5-46. The aircraft was one of three engaged in a formation takeoff at RAF Bentwaters. During to poor pre-flight briefing, and the incorrect deployment of the takeoff procedures, the aircraft failed to gain altitude and collided with trees beyond the end of the RAF Bentwaters runway near Drydale Bottom, approx. one mile north-east of the main runway.
Crew:
F/Lt L.T Reid (pilot) RAF : injured.

Damage initially assessed as Cat B (Repairable). Not repaired, re-cat E(FA) and Struck Off Charge 4-6-46

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1988 p 20)
3. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.99: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
4. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.146
5. 56 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-4-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2423/1:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420014
6. Air Britain Aeromilitaria Summer 2009 p.73: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._124_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._56_Squadron_RAF#Early_Cold_War_(1946%E2%80%931960)
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bentwaters#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Jun-2023 07:35	Nepa	Updated