IN an echo to 'Looking Back's' tale of March 15 of the Army aeroplane that made an unscheduled landing at Guide, near Blackburn, an eye-witness of the 1952 event tells us that its pilot brought it down not so much as a precaution because of bad weather, as he told the old Northern Daily Telegraph, but because its fuel gauge was heading for 'Empty'.

And Mrs Rhoda Halliwell should know - as she's not only the widow of the police officer who tried to direct the descending two-seater towards Samlesbury aerodrome, but also she gave the pilot breakfast at their pre-fab home in Guide Square.

By amazing coincidence, it turned out that his destination was the RAF base at Cosford, near Wolverhampton, where, not long before, the Halliwells had lived in married quarters.

"I don't know how he came to be out of fuel, but I remember it was very foggy that morning and I think he must have got lost and run low circling round and round," says Mrs Halliwell.

"My husband had to ring up somewhere to arrange for aviation fuel to be brought to the plane so it could take off again.

"It caused a lot of excitement at the time and your story brought back a lot of memories."

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