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Old 29th December 2011, 18:43
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Re: Messerschmitt down at Acocks Green Birmingham

Just discovered this old thread from last year. It struck me that at no point was it explicitly stated that the downed aircraft was a Bf 109. That assumption was made in order to throw doubt on the childhood memory. Those of us who spend too much time looking at photos on eBay will be aware of the all too frequent misidentification of just about anything with two wings as a Bf109. It seems quite possible that a schoolchild in c.1940 could have claimed that any crashed German aircraft was a ‘Messerschmitt’.

Just found the following report;
NIGHT RAIDER DOWN IN MIDLANDS. A RAIDER WAS BROUGHT DOWN DURING AN ATTACK ON A WEST MIDLAND TOWN LAST NIGHT. It is understood that A.A. fire hit it. It crashed near Bilton Grange, which is in the vicinity of the Rugby-Dunchurch road. Another raider is believed to have been crippled. It was last seen over a nearby district flying very low. High-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on a Midland town
…. (Birmingham Gazette, Friday 15th November 1940).

Bilton Grange is just over two miles from Acocks Green. This is of course not conclusive proof that this reported incident is the same as that remembered as a childhood memory. I also suspect that the downed aircraft was a He111. But the report does clearly indicate that at least one German aircraft was brought down near Acocks Green.


…It would interesting to identify this German aircraft (KGr 100 or KG 55 perhaps?)



Happy New Year to all



Ian
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