Heinkel Crash in Kent ,Stenning ?

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16 years 7 months

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A friend at work told me he was going throuh his Grandmothers photo album at the weekend and came across a photo she took of a crashed German aircraft.His mother had never really showed anyone the photo as it was illegal at the time? and she still thought this was the case.The aircraft,he thinks she said is a Heinkel which crash landed near her house.He told me the place weas called Stenning ? in Kent(not sure if this is the right spelling).He`s told me he`ll get some more info and possibly scan it for me......any ideas anyone?

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16 years 7 months

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I think you might find this is Steyning in West Sussex which is just down the road from High Salvington where a Heinkel crashed and has been discussed on here before.

Mark

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=83839&highlight=high+salvington

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=78533&highlight=high+salvington

Steyning is rather further from High Salvington than "just down the road", so it may be a different Heinkel to which Hindenburg refers. Furthermore I assume that Hindenburg has the right county, even if he is unsure of the spelling of the place name.

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17 years 4 months

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Less than 4 miles as the crow flies - thats just down the road in my book

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16 years 8 months

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When I lived in the UK in Canterbury, used to go riding near Stelling.
Maybe thats where he means?

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17 years 4 months

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machtuck I think you might have a winner for the location!

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24 years 2 months

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When I lived in the UK in Canterbury, used to go riding near Stelling.
Maybe thats where he means?

Stelling Minnis ?

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Heinkel Photos

I think the only way to resolve this is wait until the next time he visits his Gran.I have asked him to take a photo or scan the picture could be interesting.It still amazes me what photos turn up after all this time.I found a heap of photos in the local skip from a chap in the R.O.A.C who was one of the first into Belsen.The pictures are obviously very distressing ,but to throw them in a skip !! There are some nice detail photos of the Rhine crossing bridges,both original destroyed and freshly built by the Royal Engineers,I think The Bridges were called `Triumph and Victory`

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24 years 2 months

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Hmm, Time to dig out "Aircraft Casualties in Kent Part 1: 1939 to 1940" (sadly, I don't have any other parts).

Three entries for Stelling Minnis.

28/8/40 Spitfire 1 P9511 of 610 squadron. Crashed on a house and pilot P/O KH Cox killed.

17/9/40 Spitfire 1 X4409, 41 Sq. P/O Baker force-landed, unhurt.

8/11/40 Hurricane V6870, 257 Sq. crashed at Hythe Road, having had its tail shot off. Sgt A Page killed.

So if it is German, and it is Stelling Minnis, it wasn't in 1940. Sorry not to be more helpful...

Adrian

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How about: 'I'm stayin' in, there's a Heinkel comin'..

Sorry, couldn't resist, must be the Chivas...

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A related question...
A friend's father recalls a "German" bomber being forced down on his land in Stodmarsh, near Canterbury...
The family story is that they drained some petrol from it to run the farm machinery.

Any way of finding out a date/type? A long shot, I know...

I can provide the farmers name if that would help narrow the search.

His son still farms the land, his father is now 101..(he was too old to see service in the war!) and spoke frequently of watching the Battle of Britain while working the land.

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24 years 2 months

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M'seur Boyle, I will have a look and see if there's anything in my book for 1939-40 at Stodmarsh. Do PM me if you don't hear anything - head like a sieve...

Must have been interesting running agricultural machinery on aviation fuel!

Adrian

A related question...
A friend's father recalls a "German" bomber being forced down on his land in Stodmarsh, near Canterbury...
The family story is that they drained some petrol from it to run the farm machinery.

Any way of finding out a date/type? A long shot, I know...

I can provide the farmers name if that would help narrow the search.

His son still farms the land, his father is now 101..(he was too old to see service in the war!) and spoke frequently of watching the Battle of Britain while working the land.

From memory, a KG2 Dornier 17 on 15 September 1940. I will need to look out the details.

I think the only way to resolve this is wait until the next time he visits his Gran.I have asked him to take a photo or scan the picture could be interesting.It still amazes me what photos turn up after all this time.I found a heap of photos in the local skip from a chap in the R.O.A.C who was one of the first into Belsen.The pictures are obviously very distressing ,but to throw them in a skip !! There are some nice detail photos of the Rhine crossing bridges,both original destroyed and freshly built by the Royal Engineers,I think The Bridges were called `Triumph and Victory`

There was a He 111 down alongside a house at Kenardington, Kent, in May 1941. I think about the 8th? I'll look it up later. Shot down by 74 Sqn if I recall. In night finish with black fin and fuselage sides. Quite a few photos exist. I will post one later.

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16 years 7 months

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You are Right MSW,I had it confirmed today, the crash location was Steyning.

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16 years 7 months

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Less than 4 miles as the crow flies - thats just down the road in my book

Yes, but Shoreham Airport is even closer - but no-one has (to the best of my knowledge) suggested that the crashes around that location occurred at High Salvington. Steyning is Steyning. High Salvington is Worthing. And from the point of view of crashes during the last war, I am unaware of anyone arguing that they are the same. But let's wait for Hindenburg to post his friend's grandmother's photo, which may resolve the issue!

If we are certainly talking about a He 111 at Steyning then there are only two possibilities:

Wyckhams Farm, Steyning, 19 January 1941 (the only He 111 crash actually AT Steyning)
Annington Farm, Bramber, 16 August 1940

High Salvington could not really be called "Steyning" by any stretch of the imagination.

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He 111H V4+FH 1/KG 1 Wyckhams Farm, Steyning, 19 January 1941

He 111P G1+IB 6/KG 55 Anningtons Farm, Bramber, Sussex, 16 August 1940

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I`ve been forwarded the picture of this aircraft virtually intact apart from bent props.It came down at Pepperscombe Farm in Steyning and it is a He 111.As soon as I can sort my downloading out I`ll show you the Picture.

I am trying to make sense of which incident this is, Martin! Look forward to seeing the picture in due course.

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19 years 4 months

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Since this tread has been revived...I'd like to post "the rest of the story" about my request for information.

The 101 year-old farmer I reqested information for in post #11 recently passed away.

The details and photos provided by adrian_gray were delivered by his son and he got the chance to relive the war years one last time very shortly before his passing.
I'm told he enjoyed the information, it gave him a chance to relive some of the family stories about the event (like how his brother went into the fuselage and tried to fire a machine gun...and using the fuel in the tractor).
It really brightened his day and was a welcome topic of conversation for his son.

Thanks to all, especially Mr. Gray.