Groundcrew pulling Billy Fiske from burning a/c, 16/08/40, RAF Tangmere.

[gedburke3]

Nick,
You can contact me at:
gedburke3@yahoo.co.uk
Gerry

[gedburke3]

Nick,
I have found my notes taken whilst talking to Geoff Faulkner in 2003.
Below is his account, transcribed by me at the time and accurate.
I have also attached a copy of the painting of the incident that Faulkner recalled was an accurate depiction of what he saw.
I hope that this is of interest to you.
Gerry


“I was on duty at Tangmere on the day the Luftwaffe attacked it on August 16th 1940.
I saw a Hurricane turning on final approach to land, it was smoking heavily and I could see flames coming from the cowling. Stukas were still dropping bombs all over the aerodrome.
I immediately set off in the ambulance with Corporal Jones.
In those days Tangmere aerodrome was a grass landing field with no concrete runways. As we set off a bomb landed about 30 yards in front of us and threw a large plume of dirt up in the air, we had to swerve to avoid the crater.
We eventually arrived at the Hurricane which had made a wheel’s up landing. I jumped up onto the wing and together we lifted Fiske out of the cockpit. I recall that his tunic and flying clothing were still smouldering, Corporal Jones and I removed what we could but some of the uniform had been badly burnt and was stuck to him. We placed him on a stretcher and as we started to move him to the ambulance he looked back at his Hurricane and said “Goddam plane”.
Although he was badly burnt we didn’t think he had been fatally injured.
We drove him around to the Station sick quarter’s, however that had just been hit by a bomb. The Station M.O. was Flying Officer Courtney Willey, he had dived under a table as the bomb hit and this had saved him.
We then moved Billy Fiske to the local Hospital in Chichester where he sadly died the next day. “

[nickle]

Wow, thanks for that Gerry, that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. I'll be in touch hopefully over the next couple of days.

Many thanks again,

Nick

[xchristina04fx]

Cyril is mighty fine. He's my grandad!

George W Jones was my wife`s father, he died in 1963 when she was ten. I am a volunteer at Tangmere Aviation Museum, where there is a display dedicated to Billy Fiske & personnel involved in his rescue. I have recently placed a plaque dedicated to George Jones in the museums memorial garden. I have a copy of his R.A.F record but no photographs & am trying to find a photo of him in uniform or receiving his Military Medal. Can anyone help ?