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. 

OLD SALTS FARM MESSERSCHMITT Bf-109E-1 AT SHOREHAM — Tuesday 13th August 1940 known as Adler Tag
 - Eagle Day

Copyright Valerie Martin 2012

On 13th August 1940 the Luftwaffe launched ‘Adler Tag’ or Eagle Day.    This was supposed to be the commence of attacks on the RAF.   In spite of Germany claiming success, "Alder Tag" was really rather a damp squib.   Instead of destroying important RAF fighter airfields the Luftwaffe for the most part succeeded only in attacking our more insignificant air bases without causing damage.    The following is the story of one of the enemy fighters.

After being intercepted over our area early in the morning, this Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1 was in combat with RAF fighters and shot out of the sky by Sergeant J. P. Mills of 43 Squadron based at nearby Tangmere.   

The damaged German aircraft made a belly-landing on agricultural land of the Old Salts Farm (see the corn stooks in the background) beside the Shoreham aerodrome at 7.10 a.m. that Tuesday morning of 13th August 1940.   It was one of many not to return to German soil after its sortie.

The above photograph was taken at the time......... below is a rather fanciful portrayal in circulation of the pilot climbing out of his fighter to surrender.  It is not a photograph!

Pilot:  Oberleutnant Paul Temme (Gruppe Adjutant) was captured unhurt and taken Prisoner of War.   

Gerald White ex-Shoreham guy and now living in Lincoln tells me that one day he was talking to Frank 'Boots' Dorey of Shoreham about the incident with the Messerschmitt.   Frank was an Aircraft Mechanic with 92 Squadron — a Battle of Britain fighter unit, and he was on leave in Shoreham at the time and he related the following. 

Frank 'Boots' Dorey

Frank replied that he could.   The pilot retrieved his belongings and the captured man explained that he always carried his shaving kit when he was airborne as he could not be absolutely sure where he would come down.   After that Frank handed his "prisoner" over to the Home Guard and RAF personnel arriving to do the arrest.

It was said at the time that the Messerschmitt was exhibited later in Hackney and Watford before being broken up.

In all, it had been a Hunky Dory day for all except the pilot.

Gerald said "It was interesting to see the artists impression of the scene.

As usual, Gerald has excelled himself again with another of his stories in January 2012..... "Hello Valerie, my father, one of six sons of Bill and Ellen White of West Street Shoreham, were neighbours of the Dorey family.   Frank was called "Boots" because as a young boy he always wore boots, he was the only boy, in a large family of girls, and was the apple of his mothers eye. One Sunday morning his mother spent some time in getting Frank ready for church, he had a new sailors suit on, and a large wide brimmed hat.

My father saw Frank sitting on the garden wall, looking all prim and proper. His Mother said...

"Sit there, and stay there until we all leave for church".

Meanwhile , my Dad, had placed a newspaper over a large muddy puddle in the garden.   My uncle said to Frank....

"Bootsie, I bet you can't jump from the wall onto this newspaper."

With that Frank jumped, he was about five years old. He landed plumb in the puddle, his new clothes were splattered with mud.  Mrs Dorey, not known for her temper
blew her top......She chased poor Frank all over the garden before slapping his legs, and telling Ellen, then my Dad, and his brother both got more than a fourpenny one each.

Growing up in Shoreham in the 1920s Frank took a great interest in everything that went on at the Airport.  With the outbreak of WW2 Frank enlisted in the RAF and
was trained as an airframe mechanic....and was posted to 92 Squadron one of the Battle of Britain units and based mainly in Kent.

 Frank told me of long days of Readiness, when the Aircraft and aircrew sat waiting for the alarm, then the scramble to launch the aircraft, and waiting for his pilot to return, sometimes the 'kite 'was badly damaged and the pilot was wounded. and sometimes the aircraft didn't return, later they found that their "kit" had been landed away.
Sometimes their "kite" was shot down. When on return, the aircraft were refuelled, rearmed, and made ready , to scramble again........Frank said he felt part of a family, because his C.O. had been educated at Lancing College, and some of his colleagues came from Sussex.  Frank said for a while he had serviced an aircraft which was flown by Geoffrey Wellum, who wrote the book "First Light", released a couple of years ago.

Frank lived all his life in Shoreham, and was known by all as "Boots" even in old age.....He outlived my father, so I attended Franks funeral on behalf of our family.........Gerald.

Two days after the above crash, the Germans were to lose 169 aircraft to the British 37 and this was the beginning of the Battle of Britain.

Continue to read about The High Salvington Heinkel on 16th August 1940.

 Back to WWII Air Crashes Index

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