T’was a busy day, North Weald was humming today. Just a few from a not very competant photographer…me!

My Mum paid to look at an unexploded German parachute mine in 1942, it was on show at the Priory in Ware.
This version of the story from the Hert’s memories website…

On 24th September 1942, a parachute mine fell just over 100 metres from the sanatorium. It became entangled in a tree and failed to explode. The patients were evacuated while the mine was made safe by the Royal navy. Someone suggested that if the mine was displayed in the Priory grounds, it could be used as a showpiece to raise money for the “Ware Boys at The Front” fund so it was taken there by council workmen.

Ticking bomb…
It remained there for 5 days until a passing serviceman said it had not been fully diffused. This caused a panic and it was quickly moved to Brazier’s gravel pit in nearby Watton Road (where the Vicarage estate now stands). Despite its proximity to houses, the mine was exploded on 30th September and a large crowd gathered on Widbury Hill to watch. The explosion caused considerable damage; one house was totally destroyed and three more had to be demolished. Several houses in Watton Road lost their roofs and 300 more had varying degrees of damage. It turned out that the mine had been part of a raid which had killed three people in Hertford.

I hope you will be there Dave, camera in hand:)

Thanks for posting that up Adrian,I had never heard it before either!

I wonder if it will be Tom Bennett DFM, last surviving crewman of 617’s Mosquito contingment?

Quoted From wikipedia:The Allies commonly used them to allow fighters increased range and patrol time over continental Europe. The first RAF use of such external fuel tanks occurred in 1942, during the transit of Supermarine Spitfires to Malta.

Well we can see that needs editing as the RAF were using them on Hurricanes on early intruder flights in late 1941 at least. Wing Commander Geddes of II(AC) was involved with early clandestine flights with Lysanders fitted with a long range tank from Sawbridgeworth according to squadron history, this also being in early 1941