Tag Archives: Hurricane

Ron Wallis: WWII dogfights and planes 1940s

Whilst we were living at Lower Hamstead, there were two things regarding aircraft that stick in my mind. One was watching a dogfight overhead and seeing two aircraft come out of that dogfight.
There was apparently a squadron of Hurricanes intercepted two squadrons of German J38s and ME109s and one Hurricane got shot down in flames and landed at the top of Cranmore.  That would have been Battle of Britain time I suppose, 1941.The pilot bailed out and landed at Thorness successfully.  He was burnt but he was OK.  There was a 109 I think also came down, but I think out in the Solent some place.
And the other thing concerning aircraft was when I was “helping” as a six year old, mother and an auntie, harvesting potatoes in one particular field. There was a sudden roar and I remember mother shouting: ‘Lay down! Lay down!’  And it was a German, it was a Henkel 111 I think. I can remember it had a glazed nose, came in at tree top level, came in off the Solent, and I can remember seeing the pilot in the cockpit as he went past. I just stood and watched it and it roared over the trees only a matter of 200’ high at the most, then it went out towards the Channel and hopefully home, I suppose. He’d done his worst and he was off home as soon as he could make it.  But that was very loud and I can remember seeing the pilot in the glazed cockpit; it just sticks in my mind. You could see the silhouette of the pilot. Mother thought the end was nigh.

Ron Wallis: Thorley, WWII,

We moved over to Thorley, in the event of the army taking over the farm at Lower Hamstead in 1941.
I transferred straight to Thorley School with Miss Kitty Pearce.  There was David Holtom and Ivan Winsor from Wellow, Daniel somebody from Wellow, a girl Welstead who lived in New House, and a couple of Bellman boys who lived up Hill Place Lane. The school closed quite quickly after I got there – I’m sure it wasn’t my fault!  And then we got transferred to Yarmouth in 1944.

Thorley School late 1930 with Miss Kitty Pearce, teacher

Thorley School late 1930 with Miss Kitty Pearce, teacher

Whilst we were at Thorley School there was the occasion when we heard the roar of aircraft outside, and this Hurricane was low on fuel and it had landed in the field opposite the school. It got refuelled and took off again later in the day. Ron Wallis b 1935