Hi all
Can anyone give me more information about this airman?
Rayner G.
Pilot Officer, RAF.
Died 22 July 1952, Age 19.
Buried in Burton-on-the Wolds Cemetery, Leicestershire.
I was over looking at another grave here today, doing a bit of reaserch, when I came accross this chap. The cemetery is right next to RAF Wymswold, so that could well hold the answer. Anything would be of interest.
Thanks in advance,
Ritch.
By: Resmoroh - 6th April 2013 at 16:10
Peter,
Tks for highlighting the unsung heroes/cas of that time! Even in the small Met World of E Anglia somebody always seemed to be on a CoI somewhere – producing Docs/Data/Info – possibly leading to Summaries of Evidence, etc, etc. A lot of airborne ironmongery was continually falling out of the skies in the 50’s/60’s. It just became – as Peter says “par for the course”! Done the Pall-Bearer, and Rifle Volley Salute, bits!
HTH
Resmoroh
By: PeterVerney - 6th April 2013 at 15:51
19 and flying a Meteor – no age to die though 🙁
Par for the course then. I was on a squadron at 19½ and had by then already carried coffins and fired shots over graves for comrades. The RAF were killing nearly one per day at that time, in accidents, mostly youngsters. Such news rarely made the media.
By: paulmcmillan - 5th April 2013 at 08:32
“fix” it was! can make out the f! and small number of letters!
By: T-21 - 5th April 2013 at 00:47
Probably asking for a navigation fix or steer ,hit a tree on the approach to the disused Castle Donington airfield. My dad was flying Tiger Moths and Harvards in Rhodesia also at age 19.
By: proplover - 4th April 2013 at 23:20
19 and flying a Meteor – no age to die though 🙁
By: paulmcmillan - 4th April 2013 at 08:24
I had a quick look again last night and cant make out my notes again in morning description says
“The pilot seemed to be having trouble establishing his position and eventually asked for ? on the emergency frequency saying that he was short of fuel. The aircraft then approached a disused airfield and in attempting to land struck a tree and crashed”
can’t make out the ?!
By: RitchandMax - 3rd April 2013 at 22:02
Thank’s for the information
It seem’s that R.A.F. Wymswold must have been some sort of a clearing station for the North Leicestershire area.
I also have a Canadian pilot who died in WW2, close to my home in Leicester buried in the same row of graves.
Would this have been normal R.A.F. practice?
Thanks for the information, it is a great help.
By: paulmcmillan - 3rd April 2013 at 18:44
Colin Cummings book on post war losses from 1950 to 1953 confirms Rayner killed in Meteor VT264
By: paulmcmillan - 2nd April 2013 at 15:38
Gerald Rayner aged 19 death registered Loughborough
MAY be something to do with
Meteor F.4 VT264 215 AFS (Advanced Flying School) Ran out of fuel and hit tree on approach at Castle Donington on 22 July 1952
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April 2, 2013 at 2:39 pm