Heinkel Crash in Kent ,Stenning ?

Not Pepperscombe Farm but Annington Hilltop Barn a mile or so South of Steyning Sussex
.The video link at the bottom shows a photo taken by an onlooker and kept secret
Snapped on a trailer at Oakhill, Heinkel 111P-4 G1+HP of I found 6/KG55 was brought down during an attack on Feltham by fighter action at Annington Farm, Bramber, at 17.20 on 16 August 1940. Gunfire from S/L David A Pemberton of No 1 Squadron RAF and P/O Keith T Lofts of No 615 Squadron RAF had damaged the oil cooling system causing engine failure and killing 2 crewmen. An airman of No 49 MU was electrocuted when a jib touched overhead cables as the aircraft was being loaded.
I found this on the internet and because I know the area around Bramber well got interested and investigated more I then found a link to a video explaining more. The plane crash landed on Annington Hill ,near a farmyard known as Annington Hilltop Barn https://maps.nls.uk/view/101435157
The video tells the whole story
–https://it-vision.org/…/aircraft-mystery-the-mystery…
Miglior video web
https://it-vision.org

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.

I’m very sorry to hear that he’s died, but I’m glad that I brightened his day up. I spend a lot of time here in the way and being facetious, so it’s good to occasionally do a service. God rest him.

Adrian

Andy.. thanks for getting back to me

Paul

OK, a senior moment! Why do I seem to be getting more of them??!

No note in file of airman electrocuted. I was thinking of a different incident, I believe.

Here is another shot of the aircraft as a team from 49MU dismantled it. The aircraft was later displayed at Messrs A H Bull Ltd, Broad Street, Reading. I have another shot of it on a lorry passing through Bursledon,Hants, and another note it was displayed in Brighton (unconfirmed).

Flt Lt A H Boyd of 602 Squadron makes a convincing Combat Report for a definite “claim”, although Pemberton of 1 Squadron possibly also attacked it.

Thanks for the gen Andy,I`ll pass it on.I take it that`s a piece of wreckage in the bottom right of the photo and the plane has made the light mark across the grass passing from right to left of the picture before slewing around to face us.

Electrocuted airman.

I heard his name was Sparks.

Anon.

Update

Andy, was the 49 MU casualty either

LAC Albert Edward Gainey
LAC Ronald Oliver Hewlett

By chance?

Many Thanks

Paul

Paul

I will dig out the file. From memory (!!) Gainey was killed in the attack on Tangmere on 16 August 1940….but I may be way adrift with brain fade.

Great story!

Fascinating picture!

Not too far away, however, the crew of a Me 110 downed on 4 September legged it towards the nearby gleam of the Channel dragging their inflated rubber dinghy. I interviewed the pilot, called Munich at his Munich home (Munchen in German, of course!) in 1977 and enjoyed some very fine wines from his cellar. The tale he told was all the better as the wine flowed; eventually, a call of “HALT!”, then a shot rang out and the two airman were left holding a hissing sheet of yellow rubber!

I am pretty sure the He 111 crew were apprehended at the aircraft and, I believe, taken to the Sussex flint barn in the background.

Update

Andy, was the 49 MU casualty either

LAC Albert Edward Gainey
LAC Ronald Oliver Hewlett

By chance?

Many Thanks

Paul

Andy

Can you supply the name of the electrocuted 49 MU airman?

A colleague on RAF Commands is trying to tie down the circumstances of all RAF Deaths 1939 to 1945 (where possible!) and I would like to pass on to him the details to see if this mans details are currently ‘unknown’.

PM me if you want

Many Thanks

Paul

Fascinating picture!

This is an aircraft of 6/KG55 lost on 16 August 1940 during an attack on Feltham. It was shot down by Sqn Ldr Pemberton of 1 Squadron. Oblt Wilhelm Wieland made a good landing, although Uffz Gerhard Pulver and Uffz Anton Hattendorf were both killed in the fighter attack. The aircraft was coded G1+HP and is generally recorded as coming down at Annington Farm, Bramber. Pepperscombe Farm is adjacent, I believe. A sad sequel is that an airman of 49 MU, RAF, was electrocuted when a jib touched overhead cables as the aircraft was being moved or loaded. If the surviving crew did “a runner” they didn’t get very far! Not too far away, however, the crew of a Me 110 downed on 4 September legged it towards the nearby gleam of the Channel dragging their inflated rubber dinghy. I interviewed the pilot, called Munich at his Munich home (Munchen in German, of course!) in 1977 and enjoyed some very fine wines from his cellar. The tale he told was all the better as the wine flowed; eventually, a call of “HALT!”, then a shot rang out and the two airman were left holding a hissing sheet of yellow rubber!

I am pretty sure the He 111 crew were apprehended at the aircraft and, I believe, taken to the Sussex flint barn in the background.

As I`ve said this picture was taken by Dominics Grandmother who says the location is pepperscombe farm,she also said the crew did a runner !!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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

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.