Attack on Fareham, 18 October 1940, Luftwaffe intruder information

Whilst not wishing to doubt what your late uncle saw, or believed he saw, I cannot think of any of the twin engine German types with glazed nose (17, 88 or 111) then is use that might have had a ‘red leatherette’ seat in the nose – least of all one that would be visible. I suspect he saw something ‘reddish’…but that takes us no further forward, anyway. Not wishing to be pedantic or nit-pick, but am trying to help unravel the mystery!

You could well be right as, thinking about it, I may have misremembered what he said but I know for certain he could see a seat in the nose.

Could it have been the intruder coming out of the sun shining on the nose and seat?

Whilst not wishing to doubt what your late uncle saw, or believed he saw, I cannot think of any of the twin engine German types with glazed nose (17, 88 or 111) then is use that might have had a ‘red leatherette’ seat in the nose – least of all one that would be visible. I suspect he saw something ‘reddish’…but that takes us no further forward, anyway. Not wishing to be pedantic or nit-pick, but am trying to help unravel the mystery!

Twin – glazed nose. So not a Jabo?

No, my uncle, now deceased, remembered seeing the seat in the nose and remembered it was reddish leatherette. The aeroplane was very low (could explain the UXB)

Twin – glazed nose. So not a Jabo?

Have you looked at the ships log for HMS Collingwood at TNA, Kew?

Just don’t have time at the moment and any station diary is only going to have what is already known, ie a lone raider dropped a couple of bombs and there were no casualties. It is broadly possible that it might mention a type, but I was hoping to find more from the German side of things which, as you say, has no apparent entries for that day.

Melv

Have you thought about having a look in either Annes Hill Cemetary or Haslar Cemetary? Although there are a small number of military graves (including German ones) in the former, the latter is probably the better bet for any local Naval casualties to have been interred. Those, of course, who weren’t returned to their home towns for burial. That might at least help with confirming the date.

Just a thought.

Lee

Not really going to work as, on the whole, they didn’t bury people alive and there were no casualties on 18 October 1940.

Melv

Have you thought about having a look in either Annes Hill Cemetary or Haslar Cemetary? Although there are a small number of military graves (including German ones) in the former, the latter is probably the better bet for any local Naval casualties to have been interred. Those, of course, who weren’t returned to their home towns for burial. That might at least help with confirming the date.

Just a thought.

Lee

Have you looked at the ships log for HMS Collingwood at TNA, Kew?

It is strange as the balance of evidence, the report on the attack on Collingwood and the oblique reference to medal being awarded for defusing that bomb (and others), tends to support the entry in the Blitz, Then and Now. Had there been no record at Collingwood then it could have been 8 October, but my money is still on something happening on 18th. There must be a record somewhere…..

Melvyn

I have had a chat with my pal Chris Goss about this today.

He confirms there is no evidence whatsoever in the records of Luftflotte III of any such operation carried out on 18 October. There is, however, record of the raid on 8 October as intimated earlier.

So, unfortunately nothing in Luftwaffe records to help.

I am still interested if anyone with Luftwaffe research connections can identify the type and unit of the October 1940 raid.

So, that will be a ‘no’ then

Further to this, yesterday saw a memorial service at HMS Collingwood for another raid, later in the war. A quick email to the people concerned and this came back from Mike Crowe of the HMS Collingwood Association.

‘On October 18th 1940 a stick of bombs fell on H.M.S. Collingwood. One exploded at the back of the cinema, the other two failed to explode, one being a dud.

April 12th 1941 a lone plane strafed Divisions. Some injured none killed

and the event we have just remembered. Early in the hours of June 18th 1943, a bomb demolished Hut 15 and severely damaged 14 and 16, this resulted in being 33 killed and injuring 38. At our event yesterday we had 3 ratings who were there at the time, one at least, called out to help clear up and gather the bits of body. These were assembled in the cinema.

http://www.myalbum.co.uk/Album=FROVYMNS

The album shows the photos from the Commemoration.

I am still interested if anyone with Luftwaffe research connections can identify the type and unit of the October 1940 raid.

I was so overcome by that…..

I was hoping one of the Luftwaffe Experten would come up with the definitive answer. I must try to get to the Fareham Library to look it up in local rags, if it made it there.

Melvyn. I really had been having deja vu over this! I’m so glad you have confirmed that you had asked this before. I thought I was going mad.

Mind you…..I might now have to revise those very nice, kind and fulsome words of praise about you and your reliability that you are aware I have very recently made in a certain direction! 😮

Thanks guys, I had forgotten I had asked this before (DOH) but it was definitely the 18th and not the 8th. The fact there was apparently a bomb defused there on that day helps. The 18th is marked in Blitz Then and Now as an attack on Fareham, so that fits. It could have been an He111, did they have red leatherette seats? My uncle remembered seeing the seat cover! Gosport was attacked at various times and there is also talk that the legendary CPO Willmott fired on an He111 that flew low over St Vincent and he was reputed to have brought it down. I have not been able to find any references to that but Holbrook is further towards St Vincent than Collingwood.

Your interest in 8 October is interesting, Gerry!

I collected a fair bit on KG55s role that day in the Hampshire/West Sussex area and attended a re-union in Giessen where I interviewed survivors/participants in that attack. Further east, I have always wanted to know who put a string of bombs across Hastings on the same date. Any ideas?

Hi Melvyn,
The little information I have on the 1940s Luftwaffe raids in the area you specify, may help or hinder your query, mainly because our two dates conflict, mine is for the 8 October 1940, I wlll offer what I have here anyway, but my intention is not to confuse!.

The Holbrook A/A defence battery (halfway between Gosport and Fareham), fired two rounds at a Heinkel HE111 (glazed nose), flying at a height of 200ft at 1851hrs. Between the hours of 2210 and 2240 the same battery fired 16 rounds at JU88 flying at 5000ft, the direction of flight of the aircraft in both these incidents was not given.

Best regards, Gerry