This aircraft was supplied new to 66 Squadron who sprayed their aircraft in green and brown colour scheme instead of the usual grey painted Sabres. Each pilot was allocated an aircraft and his name and rank was sprayed along the side of the cockpit.

On 22nd July 1954 the pilot of this aircraft was taking part in Operation Dividend when he got into difficulties and made a rapid descent after feeling unwell. Both fire warning lights came on in the cockpit so the pilot ejected safely from 10,000 feet. It was thought that he suffered a lack of oxygen at 40,000 feet which made him begin to feel unwell and after the rapid descent his mask slipped and he suffered anoxia. With the Sabre aircraft it is well documented that there was little time to bale out if a serious fire occured so the pilot was probably not inclined to see whether the warning light was true or not and baled out whilst he had the chance. The aircraft came down on Skiplam Moor setting fire to a large area. The pilot landed near Fadmoor and had tea with the postmaster and his family. The local press reported that after half an hour and a cup of tea an RAF helicopter picked him up and took him back to base. The pilot was married two days after his mishap over the Moors.

Sabre XD758 was built by Canadair in Montreal, Canada for the RCAF as 19760 but acquired by the MoD under the MDAP scheme (Ministry of Defence Aircraft Precurements). It was delivered to the UK in August 1953 and after acceptance was issued to 66 Squadron at Linton on Ouse in December 1953 when they converted from Meteor F.8's. It was destroyed with Cat.5(s)/FA Burnt in the incident detailed above and struck off charge on the same day.

Pilot - F/O Glyn Meredith Owen RAF (4078922), of Bebington, Cheshire.

Glyn Owen pictured above getting into a Sabre (photo appeared in the York Press). On the same day as the incident detailed above 66 Squadron, based at Linton on Ouse, lost another two Sabre's, these two pilots were not so lucky and were both killed. They were also taking part in the same exercise as F/O Owen when their planes crashed on Kinder Scout in the Peak District. Alan Clark's website gives an account of this accident.

Cadet Pilot Glyn Owen was granted a short service commission in the RAF on 13th February 1952 and made Acting P/O on probation and placed on the active service list for four years with a further four on the Reserve list (but with his period of service begining from 12th September 1951). He was confirmed as P/O on 14th November 1952. He transferred to a direct commission and was made F/O on 11th February 1955 and rose to F/Lt on 12th June 1957. On 29th November 1954 he ejected for a second time, this time in Sabre XD772 near Kelstern after suffering engine failure.

Sadly F/Lt Owen was killed on 28th August 1964 whilst flying Lightning XP704/H with 74 Squadron during a practice for an airshow at RAF Leuchars. He tried to eject but the aircraft struck the ground before the seat operated. Aged thirty one he is buried in St Michael's Cemetery, Leuchars, Fife (section Q, row Middle, grave 34).

Sabre XD758 came down near to the end of Skiplam Rigg, to the right of the photograph. I first visited the area of the crash in September 2002.