Thanks for posting that, Tim! I was lucky enough to go on board her when she was moored at Chatham Dockyard – probably 1986 or 1987, just possibly 1988, really wish she was still here and still where she should be, but I guess we must be grateful that Edward Hulton kept her here and airworthy as long as he did.

As an addendum to your post I’m sure I remember reading that she attracted a lot of interested radio traffic from other aircraft crossing the Atlantic when she flew to Florida, including someone who broke in to utter the immortal words “Hey, are you guys still on patrol?”.

Adrian

Any chance, BTW, you could re-post the photo of the farmers on the other thread?

Ta,

Adrian

They were doing so well IDing Hinds and Audaxes… until they got to the “Sea Fury”! I’ve seen the one of the Hart on its hooter somewhere else in the last few days… but where escapes me!

Blue skies, sir. What I’d give to catalogue that collection…

Adrian

I’ve been over there today, and I’m 100% sure now that the Havoc crash is at Duck End, Finchingfield – there’s a relatively newly planted hedge that makes matching photographs a bit pointless, but in the picture of the chap with the US uniform holding the fire hose nozzle, the houses at the back of the photo are on the road out of the village towards Stambourne. When I’m home and on a faster net connection (and a browser I understand!) I’ll try to post a link to a location on Google Maps.

Adrian

Good to have your local knowledge on these Adrian.

My pleasure, it’s good to be able to help instead of just reading and wondering! Should have guessed earlier that Sugar Lane was at Stuart’s end of the runway from the flatness – there’s a real plateau at that end of the airfield, it’s really out of character with the rest of the area which is rolling countryside – but hey!

If I get five minutes (I’m in Essex at the weekend) I might try to get over to Duck End, but I’ll certainly show Dad the pics.

Adrian

There’s a Sugar Lane Farm at Sible Hedingham, amongst other places, I’m guessing that’s the most likely one.

The 9th May 1944 (crew Battersby & Coleman) crash could be at Duck End Finchingfield – right sort of distance and direction if it’s given from the village rather than the airfield. Trouble is I’ve not been in that field for over twenty years, so I can’t remember how well you can see the village from there. However it’d be pretty much in line with one runway (the post-war main one), and in one picture you can see an aircraft overhead, plus what looks as though it could be Finchingfield’s “pepper-pot cottage” in the distance.

Beaufighter VI and RAF Rochford of this parish would be very interested in those – they are/were part of the group that investigated the site in 1980.

Adrian

not sure how many of those in the photo are still alive.

I can tell you that Steve Blomer and Harold Blewitt are no more. Harold’s son still farms the same farm (and was contracting Blomer’s land while his widow was still alive – don’t know the current situation as my brother no longer works for him.

Adrian