Heinkel He 111 crash – Mannings Heath, Sussex, 30 August 1940

Hi Andy have things settled down a bit for you yet?
Geoff

Sorry. I’m afraid I just haven’t had time to retrieve anything from the loft yet and I don’t have these electronically.

Things are still a bit fraught, time-wise, I’m afraid.

Hi Andy
Hope things have settled down a bit for you, you said to give you a nudge.

Geoff

That’s ok when ever you can there is no real rush.

Excellent stuff from you as usual. Thanks Andy. :eagerness:

Thank you. It would seem that my source of information may have been erroneous in attributing Mannings Heath Golf Course as the location of this ‘crash’ (although this does seem a somewhat inappropriate description if the aircraft exploded in the air and its wreckage was widely distributed). However the odd thing is that this same source attributes a number of other German aircraft crashes in 1940/41 specifically to Plummers Plain, which suggests that the source geographically distinguished the two locations. Maybe a significant proportion of the wreckage came to earth within the bounds of the two villages?

The RAF Air Intelligence file at TNA, Kew, for this incident is number 340/1940.

From POW it was established that the target was Farnborough.

Wachter (born 12/6/1910) and Mahlbeck (born 10/12/1919) were originally buried as ‘unknown’ at Hills Road Cemetery, Horsham, although the identity disc number of Wachter (53578/60) was recorded at time of burial. (I have photos of original grave markers in another file) Both were exhumed in the 1960s for reburial at Cannock Chase when they were identified by name. Mahlbeck was found dead in a field at Faygate.

I also have a photograph of a Jumo 211 engine and wreckage of a He 111 in a garden which has never been identified, but looking at the reports of this crash which talk of an engine landing in a rose garden of a house at The Warren I have just now linked that photograph, tentatively, to this incident. Wreckage from the aircraft was spread over two and a half miles.

Sgt ‘Sammy’ Allard of 85 Squadron was possibly the victor in shooting this aircraft down.

Air Intelligence ‘G’ report states aircraft fitted with Jumo 211 engines and aircraft completely destroyed through bombs exploding when machine crashed.

A Luftwaffe map with RAF airfields marked in red triangles along with portions of a German newspaper, both spotted with oil, were found at Albourne that evening and were thought to have come from this aircraft.

I also attach a Police Report I have relating to this episode. From another source, SC Stephen Knight was offended when he captured the airman because said German raised his right arm and said ‘Kamerad’. Knight assumed this was a Nazi salute. In fact, he was trying to raise both hands but couldn’t due to a serious fracture of his left arm.

Hope that all helps?

Here is the photo I have in relation to this incident. I will post other documentation later.

The photo shows a Mr Carter of Plummers Plain Garage, Lower Beeding, with a portion of wing from this He 111. The aircraft exploded in the air and this section of the aircraft fell behind Mr Carter’s house narrowly missing a baby in a pram.

Thank you, Beaufighter VI. I’ll revise my notes to reflect this information. Did the first three named crew members survive? If so, do you have any knowledge of their fates?

He 111 Werk Nr. 5444 V4+GV of 5/KG1 Obgfr. Monninghoff, Gefr. Struger, Gefr. Hofer, Gefr. Gunther Mahlbeck +, Oblt. Paul Waechter +.

Thank you. I hope that you can.

I may be able to help…

Stand-by.