Pilot who shot-down V1 in Kent

[tcolvin]

I wonder if anyone can identify the pilot and squadron that shot down a V1 at 6am on June 24, 1944 that fell on to 6 Guards Tank Brigade REME Workshop at Newlands Stud Farm in Hurst Wood, Charing Heath near Lenham in Kent. The War Diary entry: "24 June (0600 hours) - V1 shot down by the RAF bounced off the flat roof of the riding school and landed amongst the Nissen huts. Casualties: 46 killed and 6 died of wounds; 1 officer and 20 other ranks seriously wounded; 7 Nissen huts destroyed; and damage to 14 vehicles and 16 motor cycles." Any help would be much appreciated; Tony

[Chris Goss]

You need someone who has access to Brian Cull's Diver book

[SteveB]

Well that could be me... If you are familiar with the format of "Diverx3" then you may know that Brian Cull does not tend to tie up events on the ground with events in the air. So he records several incidents on the ground which involved numbers of casualties including that at Newlands Stud Farm "at 0618" without linking to claims/credits to individual pilots. In my experience the information available from RAF records on anti-Diver work is usually not very detailed/specific. Details of 11 Divers are listed by BC: 3 given as "Channel"; 3 "Eastbourne area" and 3 "Hastings area" which I assume are unlikely to fit. F/L I StC Watson of 165Sqn in Spitfire SKS/MK811 is credited with a Diver in the Biggin Hill area at 0625 and F/L H D Johnson of 91Sqn in Spitfire DLK/RB188 at 0650 in the Hawkhurst area.

Steve

[Chris Goss]

I have the unofficial 165 diary which just says Flt Lt Ivor Watson got one followed later by the CO and Lt Hamblett (attached sailor)

[tcolvin]

Thank you both. Using BC and the unofficial 165 Diary sources (and presuming no one can know any better since BC has done the research) the likelihood is then that it was Watson. This raises a question. Watson's, and every other, claim must have been substantiated by reference to events on the ground. But then these records have probably not survived since BC does not 'tend to tie up events on the ground with events in the air', which implies he did in those cases where it was possible to do so. Agreed? Tony