Hello, below is Brenda Telander’s personal recollection’s of that day in 1940. It is poignant and a reminder of what events people encountered whilst going about their everyday lives.
‘I was sent on an errand by my mother to collect a 1lb of sausage’s which she had ordered in advance from the butchers. Instead of returning via Manor Lane, I decided to go via French Street instead. I turned left in to Staines Road and was walking towards White Lodge Garage. On the corner was a café and as I continued walking there was a very loud explosion. The first plane came down very fast and blew up on impact setting the fence and tree’s alight. Then a second plane came and was breaking up, bits seemed to fall in the field near by, and as I stood there a pilot fell from the sky landing about 25 -30 feet in front of me. There was no movement but his parachute had been deployed as it came down over his body.
I was so shocked at what I had seen I was rooted to the spot.
Then bullets started to explode and were firing in all directions. A Warden then picked me up to remove me from the danger. Once he put me down I ran home the way I should have gone via Manor lane.
When I got home I told my mother what I had seen. She scolded me for not coming back the way I should have. When she saw the sausages she noticed that my fingers had pierced the skin of two of them from the shock of what I had seen. She said those two will be for you for tomorrow nights dinner.’ I was 10 years old in 1940.
To date…
Brenda added. ‘French Street still exists but White Lodge Garage and the café have gone. The field now has houses and flats. there is a turning in to Batavia Road from Staines Road nearly opposite where the planes crashed. the fence has been re built and trees have grown up there.
Where this happened is still open ground – it would be nice to have a plaque there to commemorate two brave men.’
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