Choloy, France

Details:

25 June 1955 - F/O Al G McCallum

Comments:

F/O AG McCallum was a pilot with 410 Squadron at 1 (F) Wing, Marville France. He was killed when his aircraft (Sabre #23328) crashed during Exercise Carte Blanche while chasing a Meteor.

Comments by Paul Martin:

I was assigned to the ambulance driving duties during Operation Carte Blance. I was on the morning shift from 6:00 am until 2 pm when this other fellow took over till flying ceased for the day.

The day that Al was killed was a beautiful day but very hot. I was sitting outside the hospital in the ambulance with the windows open. It was a 4x4 vehicle and I had the front window (windshield) pushed out fully. It was around 7 am that the RAF Meteor came over the station and Al was right on its tail chasing it. I had a very good view of both aircraft as they passed by twice over the station. I had turned on the radio so I could hear the tower and the pilot. The last I heard was the pilot saying "I got him, I got him". The tower replied "Thats good - let him go" and the two aircraft flew off to the east. I shut the radio off and went inside the hospital to get my breakfast. I just stepped up to the steamtable and the cook handed me my breakfast when the crash alarm went off. I put my plate back down on the steamtable and ran for the front and got the ambulance started.

The Medical Officer (MO) came running out and jumped in the ambulance. We turned on the radio and the tower told us the crash was off the station. There was a grid map inside the ambulance when when the towe advised us of the approximate crash position, we started to drive on the road towards Ire le Sec. I mentioned before that the front windshield was wide open. It was a real windy ride and about a couple of miles from the station we got a call from the RAF Meteor. He was circling the area, he called "ambulance stop where you are and head back into the bush that was on the right side of the road". There was a high bank that we had to go up and then head into the bush. I would say about 500 to 600 yards away in the bush we could see three fires. Ammunition was exploding and I felt better when that noise stopped.

The MO and I were looking for the pilot. The MO called to me "here he is". The situation was rather gruesome. We put the body in a body bag to carry him out. I dont know where all the people came from but we had lots of help. I guess that time of day a lot of personnel were heading to the station and when they saw the ambulance at the side of the road they came to investigate. I remember there were lots of cars at the side of the road when we came out of the bush. I also recall quite a few people stood to one side as we passed heading out to the road and there was a French officer who saluted. It was a very solemn moment.

Arriving back at the gate - Owen MacDonald, a fellow that I knew, said "Paul I hear it was McCallum that was killed". I said "I don't know for sure, but it could have been". Getting back to the Hospital I parked the ambulance and then went back in for my breakfast. The cook said "Here I will make you up a fresh one". After I had my breakfast I headed back out to sit on the ambulance. I passed the MO and I asked him who the pilot was. He replied "Al McCallum"

I heard later that the RAF Meteor dived toward the bush and pulled up and Al dove straight in. A pilot later told me that an aircrafts controls will some times reverse at high speeds and that might have been be one of the reasons Al's plane went straight in.

Extracts from 1 Wing Historical Narrative

25 Jun 55 - 48364 F/O AG McCallum was killed in a Sabre Jet crash while participating in operation "Carte Blanche".

28 Jun 55 - Funeral was held for F/O AG McCallum at the Station Chapel.