Choloy, France

Details:

21 July 1955

F/O BG "Bruce" Donald - 416 Squadron - flying in Sabre #23154

F/O JEA "Emile" Noel - 416 Squadron - flying in Sabre #23099

Comments by Don Norrie:

A mid-air collision occurred in 1955 when three Sabres from 416 Squadron at 2 Wing got badly tangled up. F/O Howarth's pilot's statement gives some details of what happened.

"The section was signed out and briefed for phase training #15 and #17 on 21 July 1955. F/O Donald as #1, F/O Allingham as #2, F/O Noel as #3, and myself as #4. The section took off and climbed to 40,000 feet for practice battle formation. After completing the exercise we descended in loose line astern at 80% power setting and speed brakes out. The leader called the section into box formation. While joining up #3 was slow in moving forward to his position on the port and told me to move ahead. As I was approaching my position #3 passed in front of me giving me quite as scare. I then proceeded to take my position in the formation. At this time we were at 85% power setting, airspeed of 320 to 340 knots, and approximately 1000 feet above the ground. The section then did a 180 - degree turn to starboard and was flying parallel to the railway tracks at Faulquemont heading west.

I noticed that #3's flying was quite erratic, although his flying prior to this had been quite smooth. Suddenly #3 disappeared below my range of vision. After an interval of 5 to 8 seconds #1 seemed to explode. I saw a bright flash of flame and ducked my head. I felt a few jars as I flew through the debris. Then I noticed I had approximately 100 degrees of starboard bank and was near stalling. I then recovered from this position and had started to climb when I noticed I was flamed out and my canopy was shattered. I could also hear a deep rumbling and gathered that some of the debris had entered my engine. I then noticed what looked like an aerodrome. I headed towards it and confirmed this steer with an ADF homing. By then my airspeed was very low and I saw a field, so locked my harness and force-landed. When I had stopped I had smelled smoke, so I blew my canopy and departed in great haste. I then left some airmen to guard the aircraft, stopped an Air Force vehicle that was passing on the road and reported to the Station hospital."

The aircraft involved in this accident had been finishing up an exercise with a flypast over the local railway station to salute some friends. The flypast turned into a disaster as Howarth (23130), Noel (23099) and Donald (23154) all went down. Noel and Donald didn't make it. Allingham's Sabre suffered considerable damage but he did get back to base.