On 22nd July 1954 the pilot of this 66 Squadron 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 which caused him to suffer anoxia. With the Sabre aircraft type it is well documented that there was little time to bale out if a serious fire occurred so the pilot was probably not inclined to see whether the warning light was true or not so 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 where he was looked after by the postmaster and his family. The local press reported that after half an hour and a cup of tea with the postmaster the RAF collected him. An RAF 275 Squadron helicopter Sycamore XD197 (piloted by S/Ldr Kearns) landed in a field around 1.5 miles north west of Kirkbymoorside, picked him up and took him back to Linton on Ouse. 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. Once supplied new to 66 Squadron the squadron sprayed it in a green and brown colour scheme instead of leaving it as a standard grey paint scheme. Each pilot was allocated an aircraft and his name and rank was sprayed along the side of the cockpit. Sabre XD758 was destroyed with Cat.5(s)/FA(Burnt) damage recorded following the incident detailed above and was struck off charge on the same day.
Pilot - F/O Glyn Meredith Owen RAF (4078922), of
Glyn Owen pictured above getting into a Sabre (the photograph appeared in the York Press).
Glyn Owen was born on 2nd July 1933 at Bebington, Cheshire and was the son of Griffith Meredith and Ann (nee Newby) Owen. Cadet Pilot Owen was granted a short service commission in the RAF on 13th February 1952, being made Acting P/O on probation and was 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 was posted to 66 Squadron from 226 OCU on 19th October 1953. On 29th November 1954 he ejected for a second time. At 33,000 feet Sabre XD772 suffering engine failure over the Binbrook area. He descended down to between 25,000 and 20,000 feet before ejecting. The aircraft crashed near Kelstern but a wind carried him some distance to the east and he landed some twenty miles off the Lincolnshire coast in the North Sea. A Neptune from Topcliffe was sent up and located his dinghy after an hour, then a rescue launch from Grimsby located him two hours later with no injuries.
He transferred to a direct commission and was made F/O on 11th February 1955 and rose to F/Lt on 12th June 1957. Sadly F/Lt Owen was killed on 28th August 1964 whilst flying Lightning XP704 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).