Hi all. Been on here for quite a while but this is my first post.
Im looking for help finding any documented evidence of a V1 crash in Northchapel west sussex. I know it occured but I cant find any reference to it on the net.
Two people were killed, a young mother (18yr) and her son who was only a matter of weeks old. I personally knew the grandfather who died in the 80s. The grandparents also lived in the house but were out at the time.
The victims surname was Mann.
Ive searched the death records and found the mother and babys death record but no record of cause of death!
Any help will be much appreciated.
By: mikkin59 - 17th June 2015 at 13:34
Thanks for that Tangmere. Ill look forward to anything you have.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th June 2015 at 06:59
The number of V1s this far west was actually very limited, with just a handful (relatively speaking) in West Sussex and Hampshire. Go further east into Kent and Sussex, of course, and you get very many more. As an example, the tiny village and parish where I live had 17 of them, although with only one fatality. I suspect this may well equal or exceed the number of V1s in the entire west of the county. For that reason, it seems, the V1 reports for West Sussex tend to be far more detailed. I will see what I have.
By: mikkin59 - 16th June 2015 at 22:51
Thanks to you both……. Anything else will be great, thanks.
By: mikkin59 - 16th June 2015 at 22:46
Thanks very much. Ill look forward to seeing that Tangmere.
By: Bradburger - 16th June 2015 at 22:42
Thanks for that Paul. I have the Northchapel book I think you’re refering to….. But oddly theres no mention in there either!
Indeed, I was looking at it not long ago, and don’t recall seeing any mention of it, but thought I might have missed it!
Looking at the 1944 WSAOMB again for the 17th July, I missed the first report of the incident on at the bottom of the last page, timed at 08:05 which reads “1 fly reported, T.O. 07:55, casualties not known, 2 cottages demolished”.
And thanks to Andy for the additional information.
Cheers
Paul
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th June 2015 at 22:37
Give me a day or so and I will find you the Police Report and the Civil Defence Incident Officer’s Book entry.
By: mikkin59 - 16th June 2015 at 22:33
Thats the one Tangmere…….
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th June 2015 at 22:31
CWGC confirms 17 July.
By: mikkin59 - 16th June 2015 at 22:30
Thanks for that Paul. I have the Northchapel book I think you’re refering to….. But oddly theres no mention in there either!
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th June 2015 at 22:29
I have a V1 at Diddisfold Cottage, Northchapel, which killed 19 year old Dorothy Mann and her un-named two week old baby recorded simply as Baby Mann.
I will have a Police Report and the CWGC Civilian War Death Register so will check a bit later.
By: Bradburger - 16th June 2015 at 22:16
After doing some quick googling, I found PDF copies of the ‘West Sussex Action Officer’s Minute Books’, on the West Sussex County Council website.
There is an entry in the 1944 book on the 17th of July at 09:15, which makes note of two casualties at Northchapel – 1 adult, and 1 baby, but no cause.
West Sussex Action Officer’s Minute Books
Cheers
Paul
By: Bradburger - 16th June 2015 at 21:49
Hi mikkin59
As an ex Northchapel resident, albeit it post war, I’ll ask my Gran when I see her this week if she knows anything about it.
She also has a book on Northchapel, so I’ll see if anything is in there about it.
Cheers
Paul
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June 16, 2015 at 9:26 pm