Hurricane relic ID help..

Foray

I regret to say that it is impossible to have any certainty that the provenance here is as quoted, but I have my doubts I’m afraid.

As to the Bateman’s connection, the crash site of the Hurricane in question is a good few miles distant from there but I think the Rudyard Kipling Rolls-Royce was used to ferry injured pilots who had been downed in the area to the casualty clearing station at Benenden.

Foray
Do you want to PM me the vendors identity?

Tangmere,
No need for PM. Have now found out that the vendor was an antique dealer in Melton Mobray, so no link to take it further back in time. Pity.

Thanks, it was a bit of a long shot, but worth the ask. A great pity when these things loose their identity. Concur with your thoughts on ebay.

Interesting comment you made in post #10 – “He was taken to the Casualty Clearing Station (Benenden) in a Rolls Royce that had belonged to Rudyard Kipling from not far away Batemans”.

Not a strong connection, but it’s strange how some things link-up. In the summer of 1940 the Parish family lived at Batemans (maybe they had the RR?). One of the sons was a Wellington pilot. In late Sep / early Oct he was recuperating at Bateman’s after being the sole survivor when his aircraft was lost over the southern North Sea returning from a raid on the Channel ports. I have been researching his story following a much earlier thread on this forum. His account of that time describes lying on the lawn at Bateman’s watching the battle going on overhead – maybe he saw P3094.
I will PM when the new custodian gets back to me.

Foray

The only Hurricane crash at Staplecross (pretty much the next village to me) was that of P3094. There was certainly no incident there in June 1940.

I cannot say whether these items were from this crash site, and although the bullets and links are possible I would say the condition of the metal of the cases and links is not in keeping with other items found at the site. As to the nav light pieces, I honestly cannot say. I would seriously doubt the origin of the Climb and Descent face, though.

I recall no finds like this, but that is not to say somebody else didn’t go back there and find them. However, I am afraid that a lot of such material being offered via e-bay is not what it purports to be.

Do you want to PM me the vendors identity?

I can recall finding this very item just on the surface amongst the fallen leaves and with a scatter of .303 rounds.

Tangmere,
Hopefully taking advantage of your memory of this site….can you throw any light on the following items which might have come from the same site? It would be good to restore what might be a lost link to their identity. The items were sold on ebay with a caption indicating the location of Staple Cross in June 40. I cannot find a Hurricane loss for that location and date. P3094 is the closest but of course, wrong date for the caption. Any thoughts?

Hi Andy

Don’t worry I didn’t get the wrong message, sorry if my post made it sound that way.
I’m just proud to be able to own these items and learn their stories.
Thanks for your correspondence and rest assured its found a good home.

Cheers

hurri109 – I am very pleased you have it, and that it has a good home! I hope you didn’t get the wrong message from my post about the item’s former ownership?

We are only ever temporary custodians of such objects, and I no longer have any over-riding urge to own or collect these things. I have enjoyed artefacts that I have found or acquired over many years, and I still do enjoy certain tangible items that I have had for up to forty years, now. Generally, I’d say that I am happy for others to enjoy them and it gives me pleasure that others do and that things that once passed through my hands are now in appreciative homes.

Hello Andy

Thank you for taking the time to post this very interesting insight into the incident. Never heard about the watch and Kiplings Rolls Royce before, fascinating!

Just thought you’d like to know that when I mount or frame a Battle of Britain relic for my collection, I always try to include in the history the name of the original finder and owner. That way Pat and yourself should always be associated with the piece, after all you did find it.. I’m just the current custodian.

Cheers

P.S
Must get back to Lashenden one day, nice people and great collection.

I can recall finding this very item just on the surface amongst the fallen leaves and with a scatter of .303 rounds.

We recovered the Rotol prop hub, but that ended up in a pal’s garage at Bexhill. He then didn’t pay the rent, as it turns out, and the owner got rid of the contents to, I think, the Lashenden Air Warfare Museum at Headcorn. I keep meaning to ask Trevor Matthews (AEROHISTORIAN on the forum) if he has it, because I doubt he knows the history of the piece.

Sadly, Pat’s collection was sold in a complete lot but pieces do seem to keep turning up and so it seems that his treasured collection of Sussex-related wartime incidents (his passion) has to an extent been at least partially dispersed.

The pilot of this aircraft still had the watch that he wore on the day – stopped by a bullet that went down his wrist and through the case. He was taken to the Casualty Clearing Station (Benenden) in a Rolls Royce that had belonged to Rudyard Kipling from not far away Batemans.

Here are pix of one of mine (sadly I only have 2)

Thanks for posting, Very interesting to see the item as it would have looked.

Dear Andy

Thanks for clearing that up. It’s fascinating to hear from the actual finder of the piece.
It is even more treasured now considering its association and connection with yourself and the late Mr Burgess.

Thanks again

Here are pix of one of mine (sadly I only have 2)

I actually recall finding this very item, although my friend the late Pat Burgess ended up with it. Probably about 1972.

We also assumed Stb I gun. Stencilled wording says INNER.

I think you might be right, I’ve looked at at a couple of Hurricane gun magazine pics online and it looks like a good match.
It would certainly make sense that S1 stands for starboard 1 like you say.
No explanation as to why its painted green instead of silver as you would expect.
Many thanks for your help on this.

The small E within the circle could be a sub contractor’s mark.
Looks like the lid of one of the ammo boxes. At the left end are the slots for the locking pin. The other end has the rivet holes for the missing hinge. The lettering to left of the arrow could be S1 for starboard no.1 gun, but that’s just a guess. The boxes and chuts were often marked S or P 1, 2, 3 4 and contained the aircraft’s serial number, but I can’t make out P3094 from the other part of the stencil marks.
Not used to seeing green paint for that part – would expect silver/aluminium.

Hello Foray

Thanks for the reply, I have taken another picture which shows the code and what looks like the worn remains of a circular stamp. I was given the item by a close friend and collector who had it via the late Pat Burgess, so I have little doubt of its authenticity. [ATTACH=CONFIG]221437[/ATTACH]

Don’t recognise the stencil marks, but what is the lettering on the hinge to the left? Looks like a part number ‘A81708’? which would be the right format for a Hawker aircraft. On that part is there a smaller inspectors stamp prefixed HA or G5 enclosed in a circle or ellipse? How do you know it is from P3094?