The 'Humbie Heinkel' - 28/10/1939

[obdl3945]

Hi...

The undernoted link takes us to a photo of an He111, coded 1H+JA, from Stabskette/KG26, brought down on 28/10/1939 by Nos 602 City of Glasgow and 603 City of Edinburgh Squadrons, RAF. This was the first aircraft to crash-land on British soil in WW2, coming down near the hamlet of Humbie, hence the nickname.

The photo is very small, but shows the machine from the front, with the nose turret having become detached, lying in front of the wreck. I have laboured under the illusion for many years that this was an He111P. I know exactly what publication led me to think this - I will be gracious and not name it - but this evening was the first time in almost forty years I'd seen the view from the front... and one thing leapt out at me staright away. The air intake on the cowling is on the right side (as the aircraft faces forward), which can only mean that it is, of course, an He111H... !

The W.Nr was apparently 5449. Could one of you gents please confirm to me that this number was indeed allocated to an He111H, and perhaps that it was this machine which was brought down over he Lammermuir Hills in Scotland on the above date...?

I have a terrible feeling of foreboding that I will need to rework a very precious model in my collection which I have held in high regard for many years... boo hoo... !

Thanks in advance...


http://www.scran.ac.uk/database/reco...-000-128-530-C

[Revi16]

Here you go.

Regards,
Mike

[Dénes Bernád]

What is painted in front of the last two letters of the fuselage code (JA), a dog perhaps?

[Revi16]

Best I can do.

Regards,
Mike

[obdl3945]

Mike/Dénes ...

Thanks for the photo... I don't think there's anything ahead of the fuselage code, to be honest. I think it's simply where the fuselage buckled after the crash-landing.

Can either of you, or anyone else, confirm that it was definitely an He111H, from the Werk Nummer...?

Thanks...

Paul

[David Ransome]

Hi,

Yes, an H-2, built by Heinkel, Oranienberg according to my records.

Regards,

David

[obdl3945]

David...

Many thanks... refurbishing my model can now begin... .

Thanks for your prompt response, and to all other contributors.

Regards...

[stephen f. polyak]

Please advise if any other pictures of this He 111 exist?

[Doug Stankey]

For those who may care, I have in my possession (although misplaced) a copy of Aircraft Engineering magazine (c. 1942) that illustrates the wiring diagram for this very aircraft including many of the devices along with the various component values. I guess that's just in case someone wants to build their own!

[stephen f. polyak]

I stumbled upon this interesting period description of the event (with photo) in Flight magazine from 11/39:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%201138.html