THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — These Findon Chronicles created by Valerie Martin, contain scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

ROY MARPLES SPITFIRE Mk IX Crash at Nearby Washington — Wednesday 26th April 1944

Copyright Valerie Martin 2012

Two Spitfires had a devastating mid-air collision over Washington just to the north of Findon when everyone was hoping that the end of the Second World War was in sight.

Wing Commander Roy Marples was 24 years-old and was a brilliant flight commander and had carried out 52 operational sorties over German territory.   He had destroyed two, maybe three; and damaged a further two enemy aircraft during hostilities.  

He made his last tragic flight on Wednesday 26th April 1944 in his Spitfire Mk IX, MK371.   He was leading 145 Wing from RAF Merston fighter base in West Sussex, made up of Nos. 329, 340 and 341 Free French Squadrons when his aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with No. 329 Spitfire.    His aircraft nose-dived into the ground at Lower Chancton Farm to the north of Findon.   There was the ear piercing screaming noise of a diving Spitfire.   Roy Marples was killed outright.    

When local rescuers arrived at the devastating scene of the crash expecting to see wreckage, they discovered the Spitfire had vanished into the soft clay.   The burning petrol on the earth's surface was extinguished by the nearby Storrington Fire Service.   It was only then that remnants of the Spitfire were found ever so slightly protruding from the crater that had now been filled with aviation fuel...... and water from the Fire Brigade's attendance.   The job of digging then began and the body of the pilot was eventually recovered.  

The No. 329 Spitfire involved in colliding with Wing Commander Roy Marples' aircraft was less critically damaged and came down further east in Steyning.  The pilot survived his crash-landing at Wappingthorn Farm not far away.

The late Tony Hammond lived at Hermit Terrace during the war years and it was he, many years later, who was called upon by the local Aircraft Recovery Group to pinpoint the exact spot where the remains of the crashed Spitfire could be found.    How did Tony achieve this?   He was a metal detecting enthusiast for a great many years.... and he told me "that helped just a bit".  

Much of the Spitfire remained buried from view for three decades until it was finally and completely excavated in 1974 and the photograph above, taken at the time, shows the recovery of the two Hispano 20mm cannons of the Spitfire.

The cannons, still with live rounds in their breeches, were seized by the police.

Continue to read about The Central Avenue Spitfire

This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon and beyond.