Spitfire P9337

[Trevor Matthews]

Spitfire P9337 of 222 was shot down over Ashford Kent.

Men of the Battle of Britain gives the Spitfire as crashing at Huntbourne, St.Micheals neat Tenterden Kent on the 1st September 1940

Battle of Britain T&N gives the Spitfire as crashing at Huntbourne, St.Micheals neat Tenterden Kent on 31st August 1940

I have also been told it crashed on the Romney Marsh.

Can anybody confirm where & when this Spitfire crashed.

Many thanks

Trevor

[paulmcmillan]

All sources I have checked say 31.8.40(18:15), P/O DAVIES wounded, burned about face and neck and shot down at Hurstbourne, 1 mile E of St.Michaels, Tenterden, Kent

[Andy Saunders]

Spitfire P9337 was certainly down at New Romney, not Huntbourne.

The aircraft at Huntbourne was P9438 flown by Flt Lt "Hiram" Smith of 72 Squadron shot down on the same day.

[Peter Cornwell]

Andy,

I cannot be alone in noting that the serials you quote contradicts both the information in Halley's P1000 to P9999 and details as recorded in the respective Squadron ORBs. Can you please clarify.

Cheers,

[Revi16]

Not sure if this will help.

P9337,
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p008.htm

P9438,
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p009.htm

Regards,
Mike

[Andy Saunders]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

Andy,

I cannot be alone in noting that the serials you quote contradicts both the information in Halley's P1000 to P9999 and details as recorded in the respective Squadron ORBs. Can you please clarify.

Cheers,

Peter

Interesting point. I do not have any notes from the ORB's and my Air Britain "P" Register is temporarily in the garage - I don't have any resolve to dig through the snow drifts!

Assuming that your BOBTAN note is correct assigning P9438 to Smith, then "Hiram" wrote to me telling me that he had been shot down near Tenterden which sits rather better with Huntbourne than New Romney. The New Romney site was excavated first by Brenzett (who didn't identify it) and later by Steve Vizard, John Ellis, Andy Cresswell and Mark Kirby who concluded from evidence found that this was Davies. I think the partial serial was the clincher.

I cannot (currently) comment on the serial numbers but my firm belief is that the respective locations for Smith and Davies is transposed, but stand to be corrected.

Your comments, Peter, are eagerly awaited!

[Peter Cornwell]

Andy,

Thanks for the input. There is no doubt that Smith of No.72 Squadron was in P9438 and Davies of No.222 Squadron in P9337 when they were both shot down during the early evening combats over Kent on August 31, 1940.

As to their crash locations, and despite what was published in BoBT&N in 1980 based on the evidence available (to me) at that time, as you say, P9337 came down at New Romney - a fact confirmed by a No.49 MU salvage collection order that you later copied to me. The relevant ARP Report filed by New Romney Centre (18.35 - 18.41 hours) reads as follows: 'British plane crashed ... Airman baled out, badly burnt.' Unfortunately, this latter detail applied to both Smith and Davies so, as No.72 Squadron were engaged '5 miles N of Dungeness' and No.222 Squadron across a wide area of north Kent roughly centred upon Sittingbourne, I had concluded (wrongly as it happens) that it was Smith that came down at New Romney.

So Trevor, the answer to your original question is that P9337 of No.222 Squadron crashed at New Romney on August 31, 1940.

[Andy Saunders]

You beat me to it, Peter!

I have just dug out the 49 MU report to which you refer and see that it does indeed confirm P9337 at New Romney as I suggested in my earlier post. Absolute confirmation of the wreckage i/d was also established I am told during the subsequent re-excavation at Map Ref 061255, approx half mile ESE of Hope Farm at a location I have as Cockreed Lane.

"Hiram" Smith was quite adamant that he was very near Tenterden and was taken to see the wrecked Spitfire afterwards and he was very clear that this was not anywhere near Romney Marsh or New Romney.

Glad we concur!

What a wonderful tool the internet is in unravelling these things and all credit to Ruy for the valuable asset that is TOCH.

[Peter Cornwell]

Andy,

Amen to that.

[Trevor Matthews]

Andy & Peter,

Many thanks.

Trevor