THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE ― These Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and are progressively growing to be the only record of life around Findon, West Sussex, England.  Everyday stories about real people..... in fact, a potted history of the village.  The topics today, are the history of tomorrow. 

The Mystery of the Bomb Rack — the PARHAM/COOTHAM MESSERSCHMITT Bf-109E-1
— Monday 9th September 1940

Copyright Valerie Martin 2012

The grounds of the Parham House Estate are situated just over the downland from Findon, some six miles by car and a lot less as the crow flies.  

Early one evening in September 1940 a formation of about forty Messerschmitt Bf-109s were returning on fighter escort sortie over our part of Sussex.   Their earlier task had been accompanying German bombers to launch an attack on the London Docks and they were chased by our Hurricanes as they attempted to escape back to the French coast.

The Luftwaffe aircraft I am recording here as a "local crash" to Findon, is a Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1 claiming a little notoriety as having a "bomb rack".   This particular Messerschmitt had been hit and  separated from the German formation from the Dockland and was trailing behind, enabling it as an easy target for a couple of our Hurricanes.   It suffered further fire and went into a dive and was so low that local inhabitants said it only skimmed the trees.  The fuel and engine cooling systems were damaged and the unlucky Messerschmitt pilot was forced-landed on Charity Farm land at Cootham near the Parham House Estate.  

One Hurricane briefly circled to make sure the enemy was finally down.  The precise crash site is now the familiar Southdown Gliding Club.    The time was 5.50 p.m. on Monday 9th September 1940.  

The pilot of the Messerschmitt was Oberleutnant Erwin Daig (shown above) serving with the 5th Staffel JG27 based at Montreuil on Cap Gri Nez.   As his aircraft crashed, the site appeared to Erwin Daig as large  meadowland  covered in overturned vehicles and other debris (this was to prevent any landing during wartime).    He quickly jumped from his fighter upon impact and threw down his gun and waited to surrender to his captors.

The Home Guard and members from a nearby Searchlight Battery eventually arrived puffing and panting, together with an attendant crowd of spectators having seen the smoke and the aircraft descend from the direction over Rydon School.   They found the German sitting somewhat anxiously on the wing of his aircraft waiting for them. 

He was unhurt and taken as a Prisoner of War to a nearby army base.   This was in all probability the 16/51st Lancers or Royal Engineers headquarters — as by 1940 they had commandeered the nearby Parham House and taken residence.  He was subsequently presented to the Commanding Officer....who offered him a glass of whisky.   (I wonder if the same courtesy was offered to our English pilots shot down over enemy territory at this time?)

Erwin Daig's Messerschmitt was announced to be a write-off but came under intense interested scrutiny by the RAF, as it was observed that it contained an usual feature at this time.... a bomb rack.   This was not the first time that a bomb rack had been noticed in a German fighter.   The full significance would not become finally clear until just under a month later.   Messerschmitts were then to begin to operate as Jagdbombers or Jabos — meaning fighter/bombers.  

The Parham/Cootham Messerschmitt was finally transported to Birmingham for public display purposes as the "captured enemy".   

Continue to read about The Greyfriars Junkers Ju88

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —  is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.