Gareth’s perseverance has paid off again with a summer dig on a Battle of Britain Spit in Dorset. N3231 was abandoned by Pilot Officer Staples after an encounter with a 109 near Yeovil. It came down on the bank of the Stour at Child Okeford. An eyewitness remembered ‘looking into the cockpit and seeing all the dials’ Unfortunately, since then the course of the river had been altered by the water board. The labourers had found some scrap metal during the work which they duly exchanged for beer tokens.
Comparisons of aerial photos and a lot of time spent amongst brambles finally located the site.
One tiny fragment of the aircraft remained on the surface but the deep seeking magnetometer suggested more. The landowner would only allow a hand dig, being concerned for his tenant’s livestock. Lots of shovel work got down to a prop blade at nine feet depth. Despite attaching a hand winch to a nearby tree it could not be moved. Shifting more soil from the bottom of the hole revealed the prop boss, glycol tank and what felt suspiciously like another blade. A chance encounter with the tenant revealed that his father owned a field where another plane had crashed and some people were planning to dig it up. Those people were us, and after a few it’s a small world comments a tractor was organised for the following day to lift out the prop. Unfortunately despite the tractor being large, the prop still refused to budge. Attempt three was made the following weekend, this time with a JCB. The three bladed DeHavilland prop saw the light of day for the first time since October 1940 along with a smattering of pieces from the engine and cowling. Lots of bits of Merlin to identify, more pics to follow. Wondering if the Teleflex unit is part of the prop pitch control?. It is hoped that the propeller can be used as part of a major commemoration marking the 70th anniversary of the BoB next year.
By: ian_ - 4th December 2009 at 23:43
Excellent Andy, glad thats all sorted. Probably best to send details direct to Philippa so they can be transcribed by candle light into the Foote notes. They may otherwise disappear into my dubious filing system. All the best, Ian.
By: mackerel - 4th December 2009 at 22:06
Steve
I cannot find any reference to Helmut Wick having shot down anything on this day.
Oh ok Andy, i was talking to Steve Vizard the other day & he mentioned Helmut Wick may have been responsible but wasnt sure.
Steve.
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd December 2009 at 17:10
Ian
I will see what else I can dig out on the Staples incident – but I too have heard the bus story! Will either post here what I have, or mail it to you or Philippa.If I can find the publicity shot of the niece who wanted to attend I might post that as well….just to make poor old Gareth weep! Or maybe I wont…..:D
Just had a long e-mail from Gareth (will reply later, Gareth!) and I gather the possible reason for non-communications that you suggested was not, in fact, the reason after all! Which is nice to know, of course. However, I gather that matter may still be an issue elsewhere.
One thing I note is that Ken Wynn seems to have transposed the locations for Plt Off Akroyd’s Spitfire and Michael Staples aircraft in “Men Of The Battle of Britain”. I have just shot a message off to Ken as I know he is about to commit the third edition of MOTB to print.
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd December 2009 at 06:58
Steve
I cannot find any reference to Helmut Wick having shot down anything on this day.
By: mackerel - 3rd December 2009 at 00:38
Like Steve, I think I could still walk to the spot over thirty years later!
609 Squadron claim to have engaged 109’s and 110’s in that action.
Dorest was certainly on the edge of the 109’s range, but they did get that far sometimes. Sprakes Farm, Sydling St Nicholas, in Dorest is not too far away….and there was certainly an Me 109 shot down there!
If a 109 was involved in the Staples combat, I suspect it would have been JG 2. I will look up Luftwaffe fighter claims for that day.
Andy , I thought that it may have been Helmut Wick.
Steve
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd December 2009 at 21:16
Ian
Thanks for the response.
My communications and dealings with various parties over the intervening years have rather led me to believe that this is no longer an issue – although perhaps I am wrong!
Anyway, I am pleased that the site was found and a recovery finally made – albeit that the family missed it.
By: ian_ - 2nd December 2009 at 18:41
Fascinating information again Andy, strange to think of 109s in the air over Shaftesbury! Thanks for looking that up. Without speaking for others I think Bostock’s Spitfire may have had an effect on the passage of information. It would still be nice for the family to have a tangible piece of their history. It is, after all, the main reason we do this.
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd December 2009 at 07:58
Oblt Anton MADER of 1/JG 2 claimed one Spitfire 20km N of Portland at 5,500m on 7 October at around 17.00 (Cent European Time)
Lt Egon MAYER of 3/JG 2 claimed one Spitfire N of Portland around the same time.
I’d say that the time and location are a fairly close-ish “fit”, and not too far out, to possibly tie into the Staples loss and taking into account that the estimates of location were made during the stress of combat over hostile territory. There were other Spitfire losses that day, of course.
The photo of Staples with his pipe, by the way, was sent to me by Michael Staples sister in 1974. I still have the original.
Am not sure, now, about telling the relatives after the event. I think the whole point was that they wanted (if possible) to attend – and so I was waiting for Gareth to tell Paul Cole when it was happening (as he promised) so that I could broach the subject with Gareth. Its all water under the bridge, now, and I am not desperately keen to tell the relatives “sorry – its all happened now” when they were sitting in their house just four and a half miles away!!
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd December 2009 at 07:45
Like Steve, I think I could still walk to the spot over thirty years later!
609 Squadron claim to have engaged 109’s and 110’s in that action.
Dorest was certainly on the edge of the 109’s range, but they did get that far sometimes. Sprakes Farm, Sydling St Nicholas, in Dorest is not too far away….and there was certainly an Me 109 shot down there!
If a 109 was involved in the Staples combat, I suspect it would have been JG 2. I will look up Luftwaffe fighter claims for that day.
By: ian_ - 1st December 2009 at 23:45
Sorry, No. In fact brain not in gear at all. Losses on the 7/10/40 Yeovil raid were all ZG26 Me110s. I don’t think 109s could get that far. ‘Shot down by messerschmitt’ had me thinking all wrong.
By: mackerel - 1st December 2009 at 22:55
Spitfire dig
Hi do you know who was the pilot of the ‘109 ?
Steve
By: ian_ - 1st December 2009 at 19:52
Thanks for the info Andy, a lovely photo. There’s another of him here, RAF issue pipe in evidence. http://www.redkitebooks.co.uk/aa/ex09_Staples_Dorset.html
Regarding the story, is it true that Staples was picked up by a service bus and the driver took him directly to hospital in Blandford, along with all the passengers? Your sketch map looks pretty accurate, the problem in finding the site was the four feet of soil deposited over the top. One for fancy technology not available back in the 70s. Steve was also pretty accurate with his memory as to the location. If the family are interested there are several nice pieces of Merlin which could be passed on. Regrettably attractive nieces are seldom impressed with twisted metal… Thanks again, Ian
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st December 2009 at 06:45
Ian
Good to hear that this has at last been found and recovered!
I first went looking for this with Steve Vizard in June 1978 and I have found my file on this incident which included a sketch map of the site. I recall that we found a tiny bit of airframe but that was it. I think we just abandoned looking for it because it was a long way from home and there were easier “targets” way back then. Also, tying down the impact point was a challenge – no Forster Detectors available in those far off days.
I have attached the sketch map provided by an eye witness, together with a photograph of Michael Staples convalescing – I believe at Torquay. No idea who the Polish officers are, but only one seems to be a pilot. Staples baled out at 21,000ft badly wounded in the thigh. I have a fascinating account of the incident written by Staples.
A pity that Gareth didn’t invite Paul Cole and I along or let us know (he promised he would!) because some members of the Staples family lives four miles away in Blandford. A pity they were not there. Had young Gareth met the delightful young ladies who are the great-nieces he’d be crying into his beer that he didn’t invite them!
By: ian_ - 30th November 2009 at 23:36
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately the water board probably had the engine away for scrap. Some of the ancilliaries had been carried down but there were only a couple of items from behind the Merlin, these being a harness buckle, bits of armoured windscreen and a fairing from one of the trim tabs at the tail.
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th November 2009 at 23:15
Nice Spit items recovered.
Nice site ian_
Isn’t the engine down there as well?
The Teleflex unit is probably off the side of the head of the CSU – the unit attached to the RH side of the V-shaped assembly you have recovered. It is attached to the front of the Merlin and driven off the crankshaft.
Anon.
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November 30, 2009 at 10:32 pm