Meteor crash Westcliff 1950's ?????

RAFRochford i think the Canberra`s you are thinking of were German Airforce 99+34 & 99+35, regular visitors to Southend at that time. Something i believe to do with Photographic work for Marconi`s.

Here`s a picture

I have also extensively researched this crash, which I witnessed as a child, and have a lot of information about it … including interviews with witnesses, surviving victims and the best friend (and fellow pilot) of the deceased Meteor Pilot. Info from the RAF, emergency service reports and the PRO have also been useful.

I hope to put all it into some form of publication in due course. Surviving relatives of the pilot are hard to find!

Anyone interested, or who can assist, please feel free to contact me. If published I shall credit all sources … unless anyone objects.

Airshow is on as is the airport open weekend £6 adults.

Could be quite a lot on the ground at Southend when you look at the line up:

Typhoon
Harrier
Tornado
Hawk
Chinook
RAF Falcons Hercules
Hercules (Tac Demo)
BBMF L, S, H
Sea King Sun Only
Sea Hawk
Sea Fury FB11
Bell 412
Xtreme Team
Utterly Butterly
2Excel

In Display but not likely to operate out of Southend
Sally-B

TBC
Patrouille Reva
2 Clasic Jets
Airliner

Meteor VZ510

Dammit….

I pressed return to quickly there and posted the above response before I was finished!!

I was going to add that I live in Leicestershire at the moment (and hate it), next time I’m visiting my folks in Southend next, I shall check out the info in the local library. I hope to be going to the open day at the Airport during the airshow weekend….I guess its still on this year?

Once again, thanks for all the info…

Meteor VZ510

Hi Old Fart, Transportraits and Geoff K…

Thanks ever so much for the reply for the replies regarding the tragedy that happened in Westcliff. Knowing those streets as I do, its a wonder that the casualties were not much higher. I used to go to school with a kid with the surname of Duck…I wonder if one of the fatalities was a relative?

So essentially the story that I heard was correct, although the idea of the pilot “showing off to a girlfriend” was probably somewhat exagerated as these things usually are. I’m surprised that this piece of local history was not more widely known.

Just as an aside, was the sight or sound of military aircraft over Southend a bit of a rarity then? I moved to Westcliff in 1976 and when I was at secondary school in the early eighties, all I remember seeing of a military slant was a red Canberra that I thought was a Luftwaffe target tug…but my memory might be failing me there!

‘Broken Wings’ also gives VZ510 of 263 Sqdn but incorrectly gives the location as ‘Westfield Park Drive, Westcliffe-on-Sea’ – hopefully it has identified the aircraft correctly! The photo of the fuselage piece in the ‘Southend Standard’ which I mentioned in my earlier posting may well show the serial and confirm the matter.

‘Last Take-off’ lists the meteor as VZ510 of No 263 Sqn & Millikin as a Flying Officer. Otherwise the details are as above.

Geoff.

Yes, I agree with Old Fart’s details. I was a schoolboy at the time and was in Chalkwell Park, which is about a mile from the scene, so I heard the sound of the jet approaching (still an uncommon sound around here then), then the bang, followed by relative silence. There was a photo feature in the following week’s issue of the ‘Southend Standard’ newspaper, which can still be read on microfilm at Southend Central Library. One of the pictures showed a large chunk of Meteor fuselage standing upright next to a tree. Lionel Millikin was a local lad, as was his girl-friend, which no doubt ‘explains’ the showing-off story. He is buried in the churchyard of St Laurence, Eastwood, which is right next to the south-west end of Southend Airport’s main runway. Oddly, his name is on the Roll of Honour inside the church, sandwiched between the World War I and World War II names.

I have extensively reseached the accident:

Monday September 10th 1951: RAF Gloster Meteor F8 VZ519 of 84sqn flown by Pilot Officer Lionel Millikin broke up in mid air over Westcliff, fuselage crashing onto Hainault Avenue, 88 Beedell was destroyed, wreckage was strewn across Ramaz Drive & Brightwell Avenue as well, the Pilot was attempting to get to Southend Airport when the aircraft broke up his body was found 20p minites after the crash still strapped in his seat.

An engine was recoverd from near Southend Pier. Those killed on the ground were: Mr S Smith & Mrs A M Gilbert with Mrs F Sydenham dieing later in Southend Genreal Hospital. The accident also injured Mr H Duck.

The aircraft had previouls been grounded for repairs to stree damage it had incurred.

Hope this is of intrest…silly question really!