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

THE SOMPTING HEINKEL — Saturday 17th May 1941

Copyright Valerie Martin 2012

In the early hours of Saturday 17th May 1941, there was an enormous amount of gunfire heard all over Findon and surrounding district.  

Pilot Officer Arthur J.  Hodgkinson DFC of Hampstead, London and Sergeant Bertram Ernest Dye of No. 219 Squadron in an Bristol Beaufighter, intercepted and successfully shot down an German raider that night.   These two British aces flew together in many night flying operations as pilot and wireless operator respectively.   Both displayed exceptional skill and keenness which, combined with excellent team work, resulted in the destruction of a number of night time enemy in our skies.    In fact, by July 1941 they had accounted for the downing of at least six Luftwaffe aircraft when Arthur Hodgkinson was awarded the DFC.    Bertram Dye was awarded the DFM at the same time.  

Doug Attrell emailed in March 2012...."219 Squadron was a night fighter unit based at RAF Tangmere from December 1940 until June 1942.    I'm sure they would have been directed onto their targets from the GCI Radar station at RAF Durrington which I started investigating some time ago. This was the first of its kind in the World but I can't find many details of it. However, I now know where it was - between Palatine Road & the Littlehampton Road.

Radar was naturally top secret throughout WWII. The confusion in various reports over whether Sgt Dye was a gunner, wireless operator or navigator was to hide the fact that he was in fact the Radar operator who guided the pilot onto his target.

The controller at GCI (Ground Controlled Interception) sites like RAF Durrington would direct a patrolling night fighter pilot into the area where an enemy aircraft had been detected. Once it was within the limited range of his equipment it was up to the Radar operator in the aircraft to guide his pilot onto the enemy. When he got close enough for visual contact the pilot had to positively identify it as an enemy before trying to bring it down. This was a difficult job at night & sometimes bad weather conditions. It was very much a team effort although the pilot usually got the credit for a "kill.

The familiar "Home Chain" Radar stations with the huge aerial pylons like the one at Poling were fine for what they were intended for - detecting enemy aircraft coming across the Channel. The GCI stations were developed to cover the blind spot once the aircraft reached the coast. They were therefore ideal for night fighter operations.

The cold must have been terrible & I don't know how they put up with it. Even in summer the air temperature at 30,000 feet can be - 30 C. Some of the aircraft had heaters but these weren't usually very effective. The rear gunners in heavy bombers like the Lancaster wore electrically heated suits. I read somewhere that more casualties in the B-17 Flying Fortresses were caused by frostbite or oxygen starvation than through enemy action. They were all very brave men".
 

Doug subsequently emailed...."Part of RAF Durrington still exists. It's now the hall of the Infants School in Palatine Road. I keep meaning to ask the head teacher's permission to take some photos". 

Heinkel He111 P-2 Code: G1+GR, W.Nr. 2801 from Unit 7th Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 55, subsequently broke up in the air over Sompting the night in question in May 1941 and crashed on the Downs in the wee hours...... to be precise it was 12.02 a.m.  

The two severed sections of the Heinkel dropped from the sky some distance apart..... one portion of wreckage being the same as mentioned being behind Steepdown Farm by David Sinclair.

All four aircrew were burned and lost their lives in their aircraft when it came down on the hillside near Sompting.... exact position of the remaining carnage yet to be ascertained.   The crew were buried together at St Mary's Churchyard in Sompting.   They were subsequently re-buried at the Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery.

The crash landing must have caused the usual excitement among the local schoolboy population who would go miles to witness the scene. 

Two unexploded bombs were discovered amongst the wreckage and were not disposed of until 20th May 1941.

After I had related the full story of the Sompting Heinkel to David Sinclair, he wrote......"Many thanks for your prompt and informative response; I will print the information for the children to see.

I will try and find out more about the lady I mentioned, I know a few families who have lived in Sompting for generations.   Best wishes, David"

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