Spitfire VI crash – Nov 1942

What a sad end . Thankfully not forgotten R I P .

Island Eye is a great website with great WW2 history of crash incidents. However the locations are not particularly  accurate. This is because they are complied from the crash logs and aircraft crash books. The battle or contact information  is good, but the actual  crash  locations can be very basic. In this particular  crash, the crash log states “Stenbury Down”. The Island Eye website locates as Stenbury but the map location  is completely  wrong, being on the hill opposite on St Martins  down.  I appealed for information on this on a local site. A couple made contact saying they knew about it. So I went and interviewed  them. Turned out the husbands father pulled K.Rodgers and carried him to a local  farm. 

So both Smith and Rodgers had been on patrol in the Channel and were relieved.  They cut across the Island and misjudged height crashing into Stenbury  Down. Both aircraft crashed within 30 secs of each other and only approx 25 yards apart. 

The chaps father was a farm hand and heard someone calling for help. It was so foggy vision was down to 6 feet. He made his way up the hill and pulled K.Rodgers from his craft. He could not hear or see the burning aircraft of P. Smith, which was only yards away. Which he felt sad he could not in hindsight maybe have saved or at least pulled Smith from his. He carried Rodgers all the way approx 3/4 mile down hard inclined ground to Span farm. The doctor was called from Niton who attended  and gave life saving  medical assistance. Well he started….until the RAF  turned up and told him to get his hands off him. The doctor reconstructed by asking where there medical assistance  was, to which there was none and carried on. The RAF asked about the second aircraft  to which he was surprised as he said he was not aware of another aircraft  which was only 25-30 yards away. He took the RAF back up where they found both aircraft as the fog had cleared. Smiths aircraft struck the wall and this was where it lay having caught fire.  Sadly and rather shockingly  they left Smiths charred body in the craft. Which I personally find a bit disgusting treatment of their own airmen but it was a busy time.  The chaps brother went up that evening  to look. On return he was rather quiet.  So he enquired  to find that his brother had discovered  the charred body of Smith in his cockpit! 

On ensuring on to the location I was told I would find a hole in the wall, this being where the aircraft came to rest.   Rodgers aircraft was taken away, think it may have been repaired  or used for spares. 

I visited the site only this weekend. I found the wall with quite a few breaks and holes in it. But one was particularly  larger and had strayed blackened stones indicating a fire. More important  I was aware I was not alone! 

That evening I enquired with the couple and they confirmed the location at the Ventnor end. I am going back up again as I promised to come back. 

I will lay a small cross and flowers.  If you want a more accurate location please contact me on 

granson32@gmail.com 

Hope this helps

Thank you, Spiteful!

Sorry that I had a moan…..!

Your comments are all noted and understood and it is gratifying to know that the information was of some use.

Firstly, apologies Tangmere1940, work and a young family have meant I’ve been unable to get to the computer much recently – it is certainly not my intent to appear rude or ungrateful. Sorry if this appeared to be the case.

Thank you for the information. It is fascinating how much knowledge there is on all these incidents. I wish I could say my interest was deeper, but the crash site is fairly local to where I grew up, and I have an interest in the lesser recognised variants of the Spitfire such as the VI and VII.

The report made me wonder about the circumstances of the incident, and one thought was if some of the development may recover parts of one the aircraft, that maybe could have been used as a local memorial.

Thanks again.

Anyone out there…..???!

I don’t believe it.

Just a minor whinge.

After Spiteful’s request a number of forum members took the time and trouble to respond (myself included) and posted information that was surely helpful in his quest.

I have noticed that there are often posters who respond to such requests in some detail, whereupon the person seeking the request does not respond, comment or offer any kind of thanks. It is a common problem when you look at some of the threads and the effort that some folk then go to in providing answers to help out fellow enthusiasts. (That said, Radpoe in this thread did of course offer his thanks after joining the discussion…but then he is obviously a gent!)

Bad show. Some acknowledgement would be common courtesy. Even perhaps sharing with us how/why the information was helpful and what it was that sparked their interest or enquiry in the first place?

Perhaps I am just turning into Victor Meldrew.

I have quite a bit on this incident and the ORB does give the individual letters.

He was “Red 2” (Aircraft letter “C”) and Sgt J K Rodger was “Red 1” (Aircraft letter “A”) in a flight that had taken off at 14.15 on a convoy patrol. It was noted as a bad day for flying, with heavy rain and thunderstorms and ground mist with only 500yards viz max.

Sgt Smith was Sgt Philip Shaw Smith born in Grantham, England, on 8/9/1920 but emigrated with his family to New Zealand. Until November 1940 he was a Fireman with the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board after which he enlisted in the RNZAF. I have a great deal more on him in his biog notes. He was not “Flt Sgt S Smith”.

Rodger’s aircraft crashed through a brick wall before effecting a forced landing causing him concussion and slight head injuries.

What is your interest, Radpoe/Spiteful?

Glad to be of service.

Thank you Andy,

I’m a member of Aeroventure at Doncaster, a friend of the 616 Squadron Association and I will always honour the wishes of a late & dear family friend who served with 616 – the last time I ever saw him he asked me ” please do one thing for me – never forget 616″.

Just to add that I think photographs of one (or both?) Spitfires are extant somewhere.

Can anybody confirm?

Mark12?

I have quite a bit on this incident and the ORB does give the individual letters.

He was “Red 2” (Aircraft letter “C”) and Sgt J K Rodger was “Red 1” (Aircraft letter “A”) in a flight that had taken off at 14.15 on a convoy patrol. It was noted as a bad day for flying, with heavy rain and thunderstorms and ground mist with only 500yards viz max.

Sgt Smith was Sgt Philip Shaw Smith born in Grantham, England, on 8/9/1920 but emigrated with his family to New Zealand. Until November 1940 he was a Fireman with the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board after which he enlisted in the RNZAF. I have a great deal more on him in his biog notes. He was not “Flt Sgt S Smith”.

Rodger’s aircraft crashed through a brick wall before effecting a forced landing causing him concussion and slight head injuries.

What is your interest, Radpoe/Spiteful?

Glad to be of service.

I was wondering if anyone had any further information on an accident in Nov 1942 where two Spitfire VI’s hit high ground on the IOW:

From http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/iowc.html

01-11-42 BR186 Spitfire VI 616SQ Flew into ground Stenbury Down.F Sgt S Smith killed
01-11-42 BR174 Spitfire VI,616 Sq Flew into ground Stenbury Down.Pilot injured

I also found the link below to a survey of the area:

http://www.spanfarm.co.uk/Span-Farm-Wind-Turbine-Heritage-Statement.pdf

Thanks.

Does anyone know the individual letters for these two please?

Cheers Rad

Snippet from Wight Air Wrecks by A.T.Gilliam re the Stenbury Down incident..

Hi spiteful, I think both planes crashed into stenbury down due to flying in adverse weather. There is a small booklet entitled “Air war over the Island” by i think J.H.Teal. It documents all WW2 air crashes on or around the Island both allied & German.

Steve.