Meteor T.7 WA663 near West Heslerton.
On 17th March 1952 this No.207 Advanced Flying School aircraft took off from Full Sutton airfield with an instructor and a pupil pilot and were to undertake a daytime training flight. After an hour in the air and flying in thick cloud they contacted base to ask for their position to be given using the radar at base. The reply stated that they were flying over base however the plot on the radar was not this aircraft. Eventually the Meteor ran out of fuel so the crew made a successful forced landing near the railway line on West Heslerton Carr, just east of Carr House Farm, Heslerton. The pilot was given a green endorsment for his actions and no blame was attached to him. I thank Mr David Wakeley who recounted his memories of this incident in 2004.
Instructor Pilot - Sgt Roy Frederick Patching RAF (3030945).
Student Pilot - P/O Leslie Sydney Naile RAF (3130563).
Roy Patching was born in Isleworth in 1925 and joined the RAF in 1945. He met what became his wife at Full Sutton airfield and they married in 1953. He later emigrated to Canada and died on 5th November 2021.
Leslie Naile was appointed to a National Service commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 19th April 1951 from the
rank of Cadet Pilot. He was graded as P/O on 16th January 1952 and rose to F/O on 17th April 1953. He was appointed to a permanent
commission in the RAF to the rank of F/Lt on 8th April 1959. He retired from the RAF on 18th February 1967.