No. 1 Fighter Wing - Marville, France

The Sabre Era

S/L Cannon was replaced as Squadron OC on 1 June 1959 by S/L CJ Day, DFC, who was to hold office for a month and a half before tragedy struck. On Friday morning 19 July, he took off as number two on a practice scramble, crashed just after getting airborne and was killed. The accident took place approximately two miles off the end of the runway and the aircraft burned. The investigation resulted in an obscure classification, and with deep regret, the Squadron pilots attended his funeral in the town of Marville the following Tuesday

 

S/L CJ Day, DFC

Photo Source 439 Sqn Archives

F/L Lewis, a flight commander , took over the Squadron until 19 October when W/C MacKay reported from Chatham after taking a quick re-fresher course on the Sabre, which he had not flown since a tour of duty in Korea with the USAF, where he scored one Mig destroyed.

Apprehension filled the air in Squadron Operations again when on 10 April 1960, when word was received that F/O Bob Hallworth had been involved in a mid-air collision with a Sabre from 421 Squadron. The accident occurred during an air fighting sortie. Both pilots managed to eject safely, and were picked up within minutes by helicopter, and Bob was back on the Wing in time to fill out the necessary forms and make it to Friday night Beer call.

 

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No. 1 Fighter Wing - Marville, France