Metz, France

We Know You're Up There
Peter Caws

Peter Caws was a Sabre pilot with 416 and 430 Squadrons, located at 2 (F) Wing, Grostenquin France, between 1955 and 1958.

I have just finished checking my log book, to no avial, because my only entries for Zulu missions was "Zulu" with no historical comments at all.

However I remember very clearly on one mission being vectored to a possible bandit - westbound from the Eastern zone. We climbed to about 50,000 feet and eventually saw our target which was at least 6,000 to 8,000 feet above us. Unable to intercept it, we returned to 2 Wing and reported that the aircraft looked like an extended wing T-33. We were informed at that time by our intelligence officer that it was a very hush hush spy plane. It was also interesting to note that Yellow Jack (61 AC&W Squadron, RCAF, located at Metz, France) was the only radar in Europe capable of picking up targets flying at the high altitudes that were used by the U-2.