Since this tread has been revived…I’d like to post “the rest of the story” about my request for information.

The 101 year-old farmer I reqested information for in post #11 recently passed away.

I’m very sorry to hear that he’s died, but I’m glad that I brightened his day up. I spend a lot of time here in the way and being facetious, so it’s good to occasionally do a service. God rest him.

Adrian

I’ve just got Fleming’s certificate, and it too reads “Great Sampford RD” – I think that RD is “Rural District” rather than road.

Interestingly, where normally you would get the informant’s details – ie the person who registered the death – this one reads “Certificate received from D M Fleming Officer Commanding” – so presumably the RAF handled the identification and so on. Given that the bucket squad would presumably be enlisted men, so unlikely to be local, I suspect that that was plenty close enough for the paperwork wallahs. A pain, as if the other aircraft fell in either Sampford it would have been Little.

Bother…

Adrian

Wolfpack,

I’d be very interested to hear more about the other site – it has always been my understanding that the landowner would not allow it to be dug.

Incidentally, that’s almost certainly the same clipping my parents sent me in 1983 – sadly Phil Chapman died about three years ago.

Adrian

That’s great, Ross, thank you!

Steve, I’ll take Fleming and order him over the weekend. I was hoping that one might have been registered in another district but, as the other aircraft fell very near several parish boundaries (and the district boundary), I’m guessing that if the bucket squad (God, that most have been a ghastly job) came from Debden then both would probably have been registered together. So it might not help. We can but try…

Adrian

Well in that case, if you fancy punting £7 for one certificate I’ll get the other and we can compare notes…

Adrian

Hi Pete,

Getting on OK, how about you? Incidentally, take a look at the Hurricane parts thread going at the mo – local interest, methinks.

No Beech 18s this weekend, but saw the Red Sparrows over Wolvercote on Sunday lunchtime, then later on whilst I was cricketing the Vulcan came over Minster Lovell – I guess heading for Kemble as she certainly wasn’t in the Brize Norton pattern as most things are there.

Adran

It was indeed, my friend, passed over Braintree, heading in that direction late afternoon at about 5:00, at first I thought it was our usual pal the Cat, but no, it was a Beech 18, was most impressed, not seen one over here before.
Following shortly after that, a Spifire did a glorious wing over pass over the town, no idea which one it was.
How are you doing by the way, I presume that you were at your Mum and Dads for the weekend.

Hi Steve,

Good to see you online!

Another question for those here (by the way, you may have already have guesed that one or two take the mick a bit – don’t worry, they mean well!) – it was my understanding that pilots didn’t get to fire their guns until they got to a squadron. Had this changed by August 1941?

Adrian