At 19.00hrs on 24th March 1954 the crew of this Meteor took off from Leeming to undertake a training flight over northern England, flying
first to Acklington, then to Scampton and then returning to Leeming and land. It is believed that low cloud was covering northern England,
while only five miles from Leeming they were instructed by ground control to switch on the Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) frequency used
to direct them into land. This request was acknowledged by the crew but then nothing further was heard. It was likely that the aircraft
had then suffered complete radio failure, the crew then aborted the landing and climbed away to try and sort the problem but then became
lost which explains why they found themselved over towards the west of the country. Some time later their fuel probably began to run low
and instead of then baling out the pilot descended, probably thinking he was closer to Leeming (and the low ground of the Vale of York)
than he actually was, they were thought to have descended to try and locate their position. The aircraft struck the brow of the high ground
to the north of Appleby whilst flying at a shallow angle and broke up killing the two airmen instantly at 20.45hrs. The wreckage was
located five days later by a gamekeeper who contacted the authorities. The direction the aircraft was heading can be seen today by a
imprint of the Meteor in the hillside to the west of where the main wreckage is to be seen today. Ironically had the aircraft continued in that
direction but higher they may well have flown over the Pennines and back towards base.
Pilot - P/O John David Briggs RAF (4085444), aged 21, of Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Navigator/Radar Operator - F/O Derrick Walker RAF (4081946), aged 21, of Carlisle, Cumberland. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.
The two airmen are buried next to each other at Leeming Churchyard.
John Briggs was born on 30th September 1933, he received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 30th July 1952 (with period his of service to count from 16th January 1952). He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 1st July 1953. The photograph above was provided by air historian Mr Jim Rutland.
Derrick Walker was born on 8th January 1933, he received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 12th March 1952 (with his period of service to count from 10th October 1951). He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 19th December 1952 and rose to F/O on 10th January 1954. In January 2011 I was contacted by F/O Walker's nephew Mr Robert Atkins who kindly has provided this photograph for inclusion on this webpage. I thank him for this.
The impact point which shows a few fragments, the noticable impact mark of the fuselage can still be seen in the centre of this photograph.
Engine remains at the site.
The largest section remaining at the site is part of an outer wing.
I visited the site in May 2006 with a number of interested people including Ken Reast, Eric Barton, David Thompson and Alan Hudson. I later re-visited
six months later on a sunnier day to get some clearer photographs.
