The First Plane Downed in the Battle of Britain

While going through some stuff that my parents gave me, or that I inherited from my grandparents I found the 1955 Centenary Supplement to the Daily Telegraph.

Tucked inside was a newspaper article, from the Essex Chronicle, Friday October 31, 1941.

The story under the photo reads as follows:

On the night of June 18 1940, after the Battle of Dunkirk, Mr Eden, the Secretary for War, called editors to the War Office and announced that in the belief of the government, the Battle of Britain would begin that very night, heavy bombing being anticipated.

This duly occurred and that night seven Nazi bombers were brough down, two of them in Essex. The first was at Chelmsford, an incident recorded in the picture which we print here; it fell in the garden of Bishopscourt, the residence of the Bishop of Chelmsford.

The amazing thing is that the same fighter pilot secured both these ‘planes. Shortly after his first success at Chelmsford he saw another German aircraft held by searchlight beams over the Thames Estuary and attacked it at once, with immediate success.

Both the machines were Heinkels.

The picture, which is published now for the first time, and is of obvious historic as well as dramatic interest shows the ‘plane lying in the garden of Bishopscourt after it was shot down. Warnings were sounded at 11.10p.m., and dawn was breaking nearly four hours later when the “all clear” was sounded.

The crew of the German bomber numbered four. One came down by parachute near Writtle, arrested by a policeman, and taken to hospital. The other three were killed in the wreck and subsequently buried in a corner of the Chelmsford Corporation Cemetary in Writtle Road.

The Bishop of Chelmsford himself officiated at the burial ceremony.

Childhood Revisited

About 30 years ago my father would visit Plymouth on business on a regular basis. It seemed to be an annual event and it always seemed to coincide with a school holiday, so mum and I would accompany him. While Dad was off working, mum and I would explore Plymouth. I remember endless trips to the Barbican area, a number of trips around the shopping center and at least one boat trip.

There were two things in common with each trip to Plymouth. The first was that we would always seem to pay a visit to the cinema to see the latest Bond movie. The second was that we would always stay at the Holiday Inn, just down from the Hoe. As a small boy staying in a Holiday Inn was a real treat; American hotel chains were only just beginning to make inroads in this country – as far as I could tell, and staying at a such a posh business oriented hotel was amazing.

I have been back to Plymouth a couple of times since I left University and this week I am back down here again. Being a member of the Holiday Inn Priority Club I am keen to stay at Holiday Inns whenever possible (points make prizes eventually). So I asked our Training Administrator to book me in to the Holiday Inn on the Hoe, if possible.

And guess what?

Here I am!

Riding up and down in the lifts that on one occasion I got trapped in when it stuck inbetween floors.

I had room service for dinner but I hope they serve breakfast in the penthouse restaurant, otherwise I might have to have dinner there tomorrow.

I walked up to the Hoe to photograph the sunset this evening and may take a wander into town tomorrow, depending on when I get back from the client site.

(Edit Tues Dec 7th). There is a problem with hotels that are over 30 years old. Lots of their constituent parts are quite old as well. That probably includes the heating unit in my bedroom and may explain why it has failed. Luckily its only about -3 outside and at least I can sit here in my thermal long johns and Craghopper winter lined trousers and fleece top.

The age of the hotel doesn’t excuse the poor service from the housekeeping staff though. I know the maid cleaned the bathroom because she replaced the towels I used this morning. However, she didn’t replace the glass I used or clear up the empty soap wrapper. Hey ho, its not the end of the world.