II/KG53 He111H-3 (6843)

[Graham Holmes]

This a/c was shot down on the 15th September 1940 and crashed at Burgess Farm, Frittenden, Kent. Of the crew, Fw.Grassl was killed whilst the following baled out and were captured : Major Gruber, Oblt.Schirning, Uffz.Schilling, Oberfw.Schmittborn and Fw.Nagel. One of these survivors landed on the edge of the Sissinghurst Castle estate and made his way to a nearby cottage where the family looked after him until he was taken prisoner. I recently met a member of the family, who was 8 years old at the time and has asked me to try and identify the crew member concerned.

Can anybody help with this ?

Graham Holmes

[Peter Cornwell]

That crew did not bale out, the aircraft belly-landed with the starboard engine on fire and that rapidly spread to engulf the entire aircraft which was burned out. It landed close to a searchlight post and the surviving crew were all rounded up by troops almost immediately so it seems unlikely that this can be the incident recalled by your eyewitness.

Stab II./KG53 Heinkel He111H-3 (6843). Starboard engine hit by AA fire during sortie to bomb Victoria Docks in London and bombs dumped on industrial target. Attempted to reach cloud cover but engaged by fighters and believed that attacked by P/O D.G. Williams together with other Spitfires of No.92 Squadron. Starboard engine caught fire and port engine damaged so belly-landed and burned out on Peasridge Farm at Frittenden, near Staplehurst, 3.00 p.m. Major Maximilian Gruber (Gruppenkommandeur), BO Oberlt Hans-Peter Schierning, and FF Oberfw Günther Schmidtborn all captured unhurt, BM Uffz Eugen Schilling and BF Fw Maximilian Nagl both captured wounded, HS Fw Andreas Grassl killed. Aircraft A1+GM 100% write-off.
Apart from Gruber, this was a 6 Staffel crew flying a 4 Staffel aircraft. Souvenir propeller blade recovered at the time donated to Lashenden Air Warfare Museum

[Graham Holmes]

Thank you, Peter for this interesting information. Do you suppose it might have been possible for a member of this crew to try and evade capture. The distances involved between the aircraft and the cottage would be less than a mile. If the records indicate that the crew were rounded up, that might support my theory.

As a member of Lashenden Air Warfare Museum, I am aware of the prop blade - in fact there's another on the wall in the bar of the Bell & Jorrocks pub, Frittenden.

[Peter Cornwell]

Graham,

There is nothing in surviving records to indicate that anyone from this crew attempted to evade capture (however briefly) but anything is possible I guess.