Mystery BoB Hurricane crash – one for the experts

I can further add that he was:- ‘…conveyed to hospital by Police Ambulance (No 3) suffering from contusions and other serious injuries that are consistent with an air accident and the near-disintegration of the machine. He was severely concussed and barely lucid upon rescue having suffered facial injuries and loss of teeth from impact with the gunnery sighting apparatus. His life preserver and parachute were later stolen from the cockpit. This matter is being investigated by Sgt. Morris.’

Frustratingly, though, the surviving West Sussex ARP Incident Book, of which I have a copy, only starts on 8 April 1941. Additionally, the East and West Sussex Police forces at this time were separate forces until they amalgamated in 1943. From the very outset, the East Sussex force kept detailed reports of air crashes and these still survive. It was only upon the amalgamation of forces in 1943 that we start to see comprehensive reports for the west of the county. Thus, there are no detailed reports for 1939 – 43 aside from odd sketchy details (as above) or rough parish listings and ARP records in County Archives.

So how did you arrive at the end result (if it is the correct incident, hitchhiking Poles aside) which appears to meet Tangmere’s nod?

It’s the only one that fits. My witness (who has all his marbles intact!) was prepared to admit he got the date wrong but not the day of the week; in those days Church was mandatory for many families on a Sunday. He later joined the RAF so I am prepared to accept that he knew a Hurricane when he saw one (he said it was the first time he realised how much wood went into the fuselage construction), that he recognised a Sgt Pilot by his wings & chevrons, and that the ‘Poland’ flash on his shoulder explained his poor English! I read in an on-line obituary that Markiewicz was ‘thrown out of the cockpit’ thereby sustaining serious injuries that lost him his operational flight status. My witness refutes this stating that he & his father helped the guy unstrap. The most likely explanation for this inconsistency I think is that he probably fractured a vertebrae or two – the aircraft stopped dead in around 50m after hitting an anti-invasion glider pole; this would have resulted in violent whiplash that would certainly have affected a pilot’s flight status.

Having lived in the same village in darkest east Kent throughout the war we witnessed all sorts of aerial activity and i would readily admit that my memories do tend to adjust time. I always boast that we had a grandstand view of the BoB, but being only 8 at the time some things made a much deeper impression than others. I am lucky in that I have Mary Smiths “Harvest of Messerschmitts” to reinforce some memories.

So how did you arrive at the end result (if it is the correct incident, hitchhiking Poles aside) which appears to meet Tangmere’s nod?

Witnesses at great time distance from an event usually seem to remember certain things, forget others, place great emphasis on particular but unimportant aspects and even recall things that never happened. With this in mind, just wondering what part narrows this incident down to the chaps memory – is it the pilot, the location, did Markiewicz hit the anti invasion obstacles and the fuselage split, or was this the only Polish pilot (I am assuming Markiewicz was Polish?) to come down in that area in a Hurricane? Just interested to see the angles, sort the wheat from the chaff, etc.

Mumble, mumble, any photos kicking around?

PS – he was taken to St Richards Hospital seriously injured, and so I’m none too sure about wanting to hitch a lift back to Tangmere.

Ah! As I suspected, not Battle of Britain. Oh, and the information to John Foreman’s excellent book was supplied, in this instance, by yours truly! 🙂

The only thing I would add is that the location was Morrels Farm, if that helps, although there is an odd reference in the Police report which gives an alternative date; 10 February. Although I suspect that may have been the date the wreck was removed and I’m going with 2 Feb. When I can dig out my maps I can probably give a pretty accurate OS map reference.

And the winner is – Hurricane V6753 of 302 Sqn crash landed near Lagness after striking the surface of the sea during a training exercise. Pilot: Sgt Antoni Markiewicz injured and medically downgraded. Sunday 2nd February 1941. Thanks to John Foreman’s excellent book, ‘1941 – The Turning Point’.

I’ll have another more careful look through 1940. One thing that often happens is that witnesses ‘telescope’ events into another. So, he could well recall another incident on a Sunday (and the 18 Aug would certainly work for that!) and then transpose another memory of a different event onto that one.

Either way, it should be easy to find – but another point is that witnesses nearly always say ‘He was a Polish pilot!’

I’m wondering if this was in fact 1941?

Would not surprise me at all but I have learned that you don’t argue with an eye witness, especially an 89 year old one!!

I have searched all of the relevant Parish records looking at the Sunday date criteria for a Hurricane with Polish pilot. No Hurricanes. No Spitfires either. Have extended search to non-Sundays, and nothing I can find that matches this, either. Bit of a mystery. Although it kind of rings a bell, and I’m wondering if this was in fact 1941?

I will search further when I get a moment or two, but nothing obvious at this stage.