• Short Summary

    Group Captain Donaldson achieves unofficial fastest speed in Gloster Meteor jet plane.

  • Description

    Item title reads - Jet test flight betters record.

    Location of events unknown.

    Various shots of mechanics working on a Gloster Meteor aeroplane. C/U of Group Captain Donaldson in the cockpit of his aeroplane. Various shots as it taxis and takes off. Various shots of the Meteor in flight on world speed record attempt. M/S's of barrage balloons marking course. M/S of experts operating timing machines to test the speed of the flight. M/S of Donaldson back on the ground with Squadron Leader Waterton. Donaldson makes speech about new record. Engineers adjust Waterton's plane before he gets in for his attempt. Various good shots of the Meteor speeding out over the sea.

    End titles.

    Amendment December 2014: A visitor to the site has written in with the following information. Air Commodore E M (Teddy) Donaldson CB, CBE, DSO, AFC and Bar – led the RAF Aerobatic Team in 1937/38, commanded a Hurricane squadron from the outbreak of war, through the Battle of France, over the evacuation from Dunkirk and into the first phase of the Battle of Britain. Teddy Donaldson went on to break the World Air Speed Record in a Gloster Meteor on 7th September 1946. After he retired from the RAF in 1961, Teddy became the Air Correspondent of The Daily Telegraph.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    1408.04
    Media URN:
    45820
    Group:
    Pathe newsreels
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    19/08/1946
    Sound:
    sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:02:11:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:06:12:00 / 01:08:23:00
    Canister:
    46/66

Comments (3)

  1. Unknown user says

    "Gloucester Meteor" should read Gloster Meteor.

    "Group Captain Donaldson" is Edward "Teddy" Donaldson.

    "Squadron Leader Waterton" is Bill Waterton.

    Donaldson's record-breaking run was achieved on August 14 1946.....

    http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/17
    984866?searchTerm=meteor donaldson
    &searchLimits;=

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  2. Unknown user says

    Note that this mark of 626mph that Donaldson discusses was an unofficial record speed. Donaldson went on to set an official mark of just under 616mph on 7 September 1946.

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  3. Unknown user says

    Interesting. Thanks. Another example of Pathé's inconsistent spelling of Gloster. Sometimes it's right and at other times it isn't - often within the same description! We don't know why this is as they were catalogued years ago, but we appreciate them being brought to our attention so we can finally sort them out!

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