Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

---

This it the story of when a gold Rolex was given to the first ever real world use of an ejection seat back in 1949.


First Ejection
The first live, non-test ejection took place on 30th May 1949 by Jo Lancaster. Jo was flying an Armstrong Whitworth AW52 aircraft and was forced to eject using a pre-Mk1 Martin Baker ejection seat over Southam, Warwickshire.