Meteor F.4 RA414 at Finningley airfield.

On 23rd June 1949 a party of five 263 Squadron Meteors moved from Horsham St.Faith to Finningley to be based there while a large scale training exercise with other aircraft took place. Meteor VT111 was damaged on take off from Horsham St.Faith but the damage was only noticed after landing at Finningley. RA414 was then despatched from Horsham St.Faith as a replacement for VT111. The exercise would begin on 25th June 1949 and was known as "Operational Foil". It would involve Meteors of various squadrons practicing intercepting USAF Boeing B-29 Superfortresses over the North Sea. When 263 Squadron Meteor RA414 landed at Finningley on 26th June 1949 following an air test the aircraft landed long and fast, it over-ran the runway onto rough ground where it struck two tree stumps. The aircraft was badly damaged and deemed beyond repair.

Pilot - F/Lt Leslie Ernest Thorogood RAF (55523).