Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Can anyone provide details of a Dornier 17Z which crashed in a hop garden between Marden & Horsmonden, Kent on the 4th July 1940. 1 fatality. Particularly interested in unit/crew details as well as its target. Any information on who shot it down would also be appreciated.

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Maybe this:

3 July 1940 8./KG77 Nuisance raid Hastings – Tonbridge – Redhill
Shot down by P/O Gardner, Sgt Bayley, & Sgt Higgins of No.32 Squadron at Paddock Wood 17.05 hours
3Z+GS Ff: Uffz Richard BRANDES PoW
Beo: Oberlt Hans-Georg GALLION PoW
Bf: Obergefr Erich HOFMANN killed
HSch: Uffz Waldemar THEILIG killed

Source: Posted by Peter Cornwell here.

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Hello,

Peter Cornwell is getting ready to go on vacation, so I don't know if he will have time to respond to this from the revised EOE Data Base:

"July 3, 1940: 8./KG77 Dornier Do17Z-3 (2642). Riddled in attacks by P/O P.M. Gardner, Sgt E.A. Bayley, and Sgt W.B. Higgins of No. 32 Squadron after bombing Kenley and crash-landed in hop-garden at Baybrooks, Horsmonden, 4.55 p.m. BF Obergefr Erich Hoffmann and BM Uffz Waldemar Theilig both killed, BO Oberlt Hans-Georg Gallion and FF Uffz Richard Brandes both captured badly wounded. Aircraft 3Z+GS 100% write-off."

As an added note: the unit insignia from one side of the a/c exists today in a collection in Britain.

If anyone has the first names of the three British pilots mentioned, I would appreciate having these.

Regards,

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Thanks to you and Peter for the additional info Larry. Might the surviving emblem you mention be this one discussed on LEMB here?

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Clint,

That's the cookie. The printed photo shown on the post is so small that it doesn't enlarge well. The view of this I have in the EOE DB is much larger but is from more of an angle. Would like a high quality, high-res view of this insignia if someone has one. I've compared this closely with what is visible on the many photos of 3Z+GS, and it's pretty clearly from this a/c. Apparently it's on display at the "Army Museum of Flying," in England, a place that I'm not familiar with. Surely there are excellent color photos of this available. I note that the article that you referred me to on the LEMB board says this is one of two versions of the KG77 shield still extant. What is the other one, where it it, and are good color photos available somewhere?

Regards,

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Many thanks to all for the quick response. We received a visit at Lashenden on Sunday from the son of one of the onlookers in the photograph of the wrecked Dornier.

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Re: Dornier 17Z shot down 4th July 1940
 

Hi Larry, The Museum of Army Flying is interestingly located at Middle Wallop. Also the other surviving KG77 emblem is from the Graveney Marsh Ju88 (8099 3Z+EL) so maybe Andy Saunders might be able to help with a better image. At the time 'Little Friends, The Fighter Pilot Experience in WW2 England, by Philip Kaplan & Andy Saunders, (Random House)' was published in 1992 the emblem was apparently on display at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum?

Hope this helps. :)