Meteor F.4 VT221 at Lindholme airfield.

On 14th September 1949 this Central Bomber Establishment (Lindholme) was flown initially for an air test flight and then to practice for the up-coming Battle of Britain air display. On landing at base of Lindholme the brakes failed which saw the aircraft overshoot the runway. It passed through the boundary fence, across a road and came to rest in or close to a electricty sub-station on edge of airfield site. The pilot has been named by others to be "F/Lt R Gailes" but there was only ever one person in the RAF called Gailes (Joseph Alwyn Gailes RAFVR (1020411)) and he was never an officer, so cannot be correct. There was an officer who I name below and who did serve with the Central Bomber Establishment, so I strongly believe him to have been the pilot.

Pilot - F/Lt Reginald Samuel Sailes RAF (136436).