mysterious kent crash

[biddendenlocal]

Hi All,
The best response I,ve had from any group of enthusiasts!! The problem still remains.My crash site is exact.It is close to the road,on the road that goes from the Headcorn Rd [A274]to Stanten.Its called the Smarden Rd.,,The site is 390yds from the Headcorn Turnoff ,just opposite Weeks Lane,among trees ,just off the road.The trees lead up to the house in the field.I believe that house was there when the crash happened
Alf

[Brian Bines]

I do not have the OS map for the area so cannot see how close these are but from B.of B. and Blitz Then and Now are these possibilities:-
1. Oct 5th. Hurricane of 1(RCAF) Sqd at Deering Farm Smarden F/O H de M Molson baled out wounded.
2. Oct 19th Spitfire of 92 Sqd. crashed Tuesnoak Farm, Smarden Sgt. Allton killed.
I assume north of Biddenden might also be south of Smarden.
Looking up the place index in Blitz Then and Now (Luft.losses) the only Biddenden ref was a complete outsider - Sept. 15th Bf 109 StabI/JG 52 crashed Dering (Deering?) Wood opp. Berry Court, Biddenden Green Lt Bertel baled out POW.
Hope this one can be solved,

Regards

Brian Bines

[biddendenlocal]

Thanks very much,for everybody,s help. The crash I saw,and the site I visited ,could only be described as being on Standen Farm,or Newcastle Farm, Standen being the nearest Hamlet[?] I think that the reference to P/O D.K.MacDonald missing on 28th Aug is a possibility as the time of 16.45 is right.and a local mentions Hornchurch&a Mac/somebody so something might be in it ! Perhaps the mystery was solved years ago,and the MacDonald family knew?
I have written to Newcastle Farm,but got no reply.I think we will only solve it locally,but a bit difficult for me in Australia! Alf

[Brian Bines]

Alf, having looked at a map there is another possibility 'B.ofB.Then and Now' shows that on 30th.Aug. Hurricane L1965 of 253 Sqd. is beleived to have crashed at Monks Hill, Biddenden at 1115hrs.The pilot P/O C.D. Francis is shown as missing, the location looks about 2000m NNE of Biddenden altough the time is not as described with the number of crashes in the area memories can be blurred. Anyway I hope you get a final answer to this,

Regards

Brian Bines

[Chris Goss]

RAF Cas Cards for this crash are very vague 'near Kenley' and he is still recorded as missing

[Chris Goss]

...even though he is buried in Brookwood Cemetery!

[biddendenlocal]

Is it not possible for someone to start up a website on a county basis,showing the exact locations of all the know crash sites,so that a catologue could be produced on line .In all the information given to me in answer to my problem,nobody has given me exact locations.For instance Monks Hill is only about 500yds from "my crash site" but the description Monks Hill could mean another 500 yds further on!!
With satelite technology you can state a site within a few yards.
My big problem is that I dont know the day,I dont know the month,I dont know the hour,but I know when looking by satelite ,its the place I stood at in 1940,and it was the only crash site I ever visited.
Alf