Date:	Wednesday 25 February 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Gloster Meteor T Mk 7
Owner/operator:	CFS RAF
Registration:	WL381
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	3.5 miles west of Swindon, Wiltshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Little Rissington, Cirencester, Gloucestershire (EGVL)
Destination airport:	RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire (EGDL)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Gloster Meteor T.Mk.7 WL381, CFS (Central Flying School), RAF: Written off (destroyed) 25/2/53 when crashed three-and-a-half miles west of Swindon, Wiltshire. Both crew killed

The aircraft was carrying out a slow roll at about 3,000 feet, when a puff of smoke was seen to come from the aircraft. It than appeared to stall and spin to the right before hitting the ground

Crew of Meteor WL381:
Flying Officer Ronald Taylor, RAF (pilot, aged 24)
Flight Lieutenant Fred Stanley Woods RAF

According to a contemporary local newspaper report into the incident ("Worcester News" 8 July 2003 in its "50 Years Ago" column - see link #7)

"March 6, 1953

Flying Officer Ronald Taylor, of Beoley Road, Redditch, was killed when the Meteor aircraft he was flying crashed in Wiltshire last week.

Mr Taylor, who was 24 years of age and the only son of Mrs E and the late Mr Taylor, joined the RAF six and a half years ago and after becoming an NCO signaller, re-mustered as pilot about five years ago.

He was stationed in Celle, Germany, for 12 months with a fighter squadron of the Second Tactical Air Force.

Returning to this country he went to RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, to learn to become an instructor.

Educated at St Stephen's and Redditch Technical School, Mr Taylor was employed in a Redditch solicitors' office until joining the air force".

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.141 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 344
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983 p 73)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/140: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424261
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2620: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578466
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WL
7. https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7627012.50-years-ago/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Jun-2008 09:29	JINX	Added
12-May-2015 09:18	Xindel	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
31-Dec-2019 23:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
01-Jan-2020 09:02	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Operator]
07-Dec-2020 22:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Dec-2020 17:52	Xindel XL	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]