THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
THE MYSTERIOUS SEA HAWKS AND CHANCTONBURY - 3rd August 1956
Copyright Valerie Martin 2006
I am always learning something new just when I think I have come to the end of unravelling Findon's history.
It was not until the Spring of 2006 that I heard about the Sea Hawks from Lossiemouth, and the tragedy over Chanctonbury Ring. Why had no one told me of this accident before? I felt quite peeved.
The local downland dips and rises to its highest point as it approaches Chanctonbury Ring....
| 29th March 2006 Dear Valerie, Plane Crash John C. Greves, Walton on Thames, Surrey.
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The official record reads thus:
"804 Sqdn Lossiemouth ('171/O') Hit high ground close to Chanctonbury Ring,
Sussex Downs, during GCA control when 12m from Ford on final approach in low
cloud. Cat ZZ 28.7.56. (Lt PG Flower killed); SOC 3.8.56"
29th March 2006 Aircraft Crash Location Crash was on the left side of the track coming up from North End not far
from the trig point say 400 yards short of the trees. John C. Greves, Walton on Thames, Surrey.
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I asked if anyone else remembered this Hawker Sea Hawk accident..... I know many were living in this area at the time. I had began what seemed like a never ending puzzle and a long and complicated saga.
| 30th March 2006 Valerie My german penfriend was staying with us at that time and I vaguely remember hearing about a plane crashing near Chanctonbury ring. We wandered up there one evening , got lost in a mist
and found nothing. Pam Stepney, Findon Village, West Sussex.
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I also received the following email from the late Roger Moulds....
| 31st March 2006 Sea Hawk August 1956 would be the right time. I was in the Royal Navy doing my National Service, and was demobbed in September 1956. I went to work on North Farm while waiting to join the Police, and I was shown the scar in the ground where the accident had happened. I was familiar with the Sea Hawk because whilst in the Navy I served on HMS Bulwark which at that time was flying Sea Hawks. I have a few photographs in the house somewhere and have
been trying to find them, so far without success. Roger Moulds, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales.
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John Linfield who now lives in Horsham says
"I walked up to the plane crash near Chanctonbury, the
day after it happened. I was only 8, & went with some bigger boys.
The scene had hardly been touched, and no guard, like there would be now.
I had a piece of the fuselage I picked up, but think I must have lost it over
the years."
John Greves in Walton on Thames wrote again .... "Lots of lead battery plates scattered about - might still find some gridded fragments close to the track - GPS 50/53/45.13N by 0/23/21.11W - last field on the left next to the gates for traditional folk. Many pyrites nodules on that track - used to think they were meteorites".
John added a bit later..... "Sea Hawk ....... crashed a few yards to the left of the camera in your photo of RP's horses ...... close to the dewpond.
Continue if you would like to read From Ring to Ring — and Back Again.
THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are! |
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