This Heinkel HeIII was one of a number of aircraft that had taken off in the early morning of 3rd February 1940 from Schleswig to undertake reconnaissance and to attack shipping off the North East coastline of Britain as part of a flight from 4/KG26. Others from KG26 also took part. Three Luftwaffe aircraft failed to return to their bases, two of which crashed into the sea off Northumberland and the other is detailed below.
This aircraft flew with one other until around sixty miles off the English coast when they became seperated when they flew in or just below clouds at 1,200 feet. It was first picked up by the Danby Beacon Chain Home system at 09.03hrs around the same distance from the coast and allied fighters were scrambled to intercept these aircraft. During later interogation the crew of this Heinklel stated that as they approached the coast they saw the shadowy forms of ships below them through the mist and that one was recognised as a destroyer. They stated that before they could make an attack on the ships and while flying at a thousand feet the Allied fighters located them at 09.40hrs. The three Hurricanes were piloted by F/Lt Peter Townsend (L2116), F/O Patrick Folkes (L1723) and Sgt Jim Hallowes (L1847), of 43 Squadron, based at Acklington. Townsend made the first attack and damaged the HeIII's starboard engine, his attack also struck the obsever (Leushake) in the head. Folkes was next to attack, his bullets damaged the fuselage and other engine. It also hit another German crewman in the stomach (Meyer), who later died from these injuries. Hallowes positioned himself clear but headed off any possible escape which the Heinkel's crew may have hoped for. The intelligence file states that when interviewed, the pilot stated they jettisoned their bombs as the attacks began rather than deliberately targeted ships though this may have been assumed by people on the ground. During the attacks that followed another airman (Missy), was shot in the leg, these injuries would later result in his foot being amputated. The Heinkel was by now severely damaged, the Luftwaffe pilot had no choice but to head toward land make a forced landing to attempt to save his crew. The aircraft flew very low across Whitby and out into the countryside beyond. By all accounts it had been shot at until it was on the ground. It narrowly missed flying into Bannial Flat Farm then crashed into the snow covered field beyond it, where upon it ploughed through field, a hedge and a tree and came to rest near the farm cottages at Bannial Flat Farm, Whitby. The observer may already have been dead in the aircraft prior to the crash landing but in striking the final tree with the nose of the aircraft would have also caused fatal injuries. Local people had already started to follow the stricken bomber even before it was on the ground, it was apparently so clear that it would crash soon after.
Soon after the aircraft was down a large crowd gathered at the site, some being hostile to the survivors, at the time shipping from the East Coast was being attacked by these enemy aircraft, this could be quite easily understood. The two dead airmen were removed from the wreckage and placed out of sight of the crowd in the cottage outhouse, the two survivors were also taken away briefly and looked after in the nearby farm house until they were safely removed to hospital. The pilot was slightly injured and was taken to London soon after the crash. The wireless operator was severely wounded and had his foot amputated in hospital. This was the first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil.
A full account of this incident is to be found in Bill Norman's "Broken Eagles" book. National Archives intelligence file AIR40/2395 gives much of the background information.
Pilot - Fw Hermann Wilms (Luftwaffe). Injured.
Wireless Operator (/Dorsal Gunner) - Uffz Karl Missy (Luftwaffe). Wounded in both legs but survived.
Observer - Uffz Rudolf Leushake (Luftwaffe), aged 23. Buried Cannock Chase Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Mechanic (/ Ventral Gunner) - Uffz Johann Meyer (Luftwaffe), aged 25. Died of injuries. Buried Cannock Chase Cemetery, Staffordshire.
The grave of the two Luftwaffe airmen killed in this incident.
Rudolf Leushake was born on 24th April 1919 at Hochlurmark, Redelinghausen.
Johann Meyer was born on 8th October 1914 at Rennertshofen Bayern.
Uffz Karl Missy. The day after the crash, F/Lt Townsend visited the HeIII's gunner, Uffz Missy, in Whitby Hospital, he was badly wounded in the legs and after making a recovery to some extent he was later repatriated after spending time as a PoW during October 1943. Townsend and Missy later met again in 1969 at Missy's home in Rheydt, West Germany and they remained friends until the German's death in 1981.
Peter Wooldridge Townsend was born in Rangoon, Burma in November 1914 but his family returned to England when he was young and he attended school in Bournemouth and later Haileybury College, Hertfordshire before entering Cranwell RAF College in September 1933. He was granted a commission in the RAF on 27th July 1935. He was posted to 36 Squadron in Singapore on 21st February 1936, promoted to F/O on 27th January 1937 and was posted to 43 Squadron on 27th June 1937 after returning to the UK. He was promoted to F/Lt on 27th January 1939, S/Ldr on 1st September 1940 and W/Co on 1st December 1941. He was awarded the DFC for service with 43 Squadron for the period around the Whitby incident (Gazetted on 30th April 1940), the citation reads.. "Whilst on patrol over the North Sea, F/Lt Townsend intercepted and attacked an enemy aircraft at dusk, and, after a running fight, he shot it down. This was his third success, and in each instance he displayed qualities of leadership, skill and determination of the highest order, with little regard for his own safety."
On 23rd May 1940 F/Lt Townsend was posted to command 85 Squadron and was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th July 1940. Having already been shot down on 11th July 1940 off Southwold he was again shot down on 31st August 1940 over Tunsbridge Wells and sustained a foot wound. He was awarded a Bar to the DFC as Acting S/Ldr (Gazetted on 6th September 1940), the citation reads.."In July 1940, whilst leading a section of a squadron to protect a convoy, this officer intercepted about twenty or thirty enemy aircraft, destroying one and severely damaging two others. The enemy formation was forced to withdraw. Under his command, the squadron has destroyed eight enemy aircraft while protecting convoys against sporadic enemy attacks. In August, 1940, his squadron, attacked some 250 enemy aircraft in the Thames Estuary. He, himself, shot down three enemy aircraft, the squadron as whole destroying at least ten and damaging many others. The success which has been achieved has been due to S/Ldr Townsends unflagging zeal and leadership."
He recovered from his injuries and returned to 85 Squadron later in September 1940 and the unit later converted to a nightfighter squadron. He was awarded the DSO (Gazetted on 13th May 1941), the citation reads.. "This officer has displayed outstanding powers of leadership and organisation, combined with great determination and skill in air combat. By his untiring efforts he has contributed materially to the many successes obtained by his squadron. W/Cdr Townsend has been engaged on active operations since the war began and has carried out numerous operational flights, both by day and night. He has destroyed at least 11 enemy aircraft."
Peter Townsend later took a number of command postings until the end of the War. He retired from the RAF in November 1956 as Group Captain, he was also a Commander of the Order of the Orange Nassau, an Officer of the Legion d'Honneur and a Chevalier in the Danish Order of Dannebrog. He also became famous for his romantic links to the late HRH Princess Margaret. Group Captain Townsend CVO DSO DFC and Bar died on 19th June 1995 in Saint-Leger-en-Yvelines, France.
He was also awarded the Bar to the DFM for service with 43 Squadron during the Battle of Britain (Gazetted on 6th September 1940), the citation reads.."Since the commencement of hostilities this airman has personally destroyed twenty-one enemy aircraft. He has set a fine example of bravery and resolute bearing on many occasions."
He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th November 1940 (with seniority backdated to 18th September 1940). After a brief spell with 96 Squadron in December 1940 he returned to 43 Squadron. He was posted to 122 Squadron in 1942 and later commanded 222 and 165 Squadrons later that year and awarded the DFC (Gazetted on 19th January 1943), the citation reads.. "S/Ldr Hallowes is an outstanding and relentless fighter. He has destroyed 19 and damaged other enemy aircraft. His high skill and unswerving devotion to duty have set an example in keeping with the highest traditions of the RAF." Before the end of the War he commanded 504 Squadron and survived the War. He remained in the RAF and transferred to the Secretarial Branch until he retired in July 1956 having risen to S/Ldr (retaining the rank of W/Co). Jim Hallowes died in October 1987.
Following the crash landing a large number of local people were attracted to the aircraft and a number of photographs were taken. These two photographs
being only two of about ten known ones.
In April 2009 myself, Ken Reast, David Thompson, Albert Pritchard and Eric Barton visited the area of the crash site and located a number of small pieces of the aircraft on the surface towards the edge of the field it crashed into. I thank the landowner for allowing our visit. The general assumption was made that the aircraft ran directly into the line of trees at a ninety degree angle but the location of these pieces suggests it ran into the trees at around a forty five degree angle with slewing around possibly after a wing struck a tree.
In the early 1950's the then North Riding County Council erected a memorial plaque near the crash site on a sandstone pillar at the junction of the A169 and A171 roads. During road alterations in 2002 this pillar was removed for a time but was later replaced close to the former position.
A plaque on the site of the former Danby Beacon Chain Home radar site also marks the incident.
Of the three Allied fighter pilots...
Patrick "Tiger" Folkes was the son of William Henry and Frances Constance Folkes, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. He was probably born in the Salisbury area of Wiltshire in 1917. He received his short service commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 7th September 1936. On 22nd May 1937 he was posted to 64 Squadron at Martlesham Heath but on 3rd July 1937 he was posted to 43 Squadron at Tangmere. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 13th July 1937. He was killed soon after this incident at Whitby when his aircraft went down into the sea off Wick on 16th April 1940. He is commemerated on the Runnymede Memorial. The date he was promoted to F/O is not known.
Herbert James Lampiere "Jim" Hallowes was born in Lambeth, London in April 1912, he joined the in January 1929 at Halton. In 1934 he applied for pilot training and after completing his training he was posted to 43 Squadron in April 1936. During the Battle of Britain he was credited with a number of enemy aircraft as destroyed or damaged. He was awarded the DFM for service with 43 Squadron (Gazetted on 6th September), the citation reads.. "In June 1940, Sgt Hallowes was attacking an enemy aircraft over Northern France, when he was himself attacked. His engine being disabled, he proceeded to glide back to friendly territory but was again attacked when about to abandon his aircraft by parachute. He dropped back into his seat and as the enemy aircraft passed he delivered such an effective burst of fire as to destroy his opponent. He then made a successful parachute landing." He was injured in the incident and spent a short period in hospital but returned to 43 Squadron when recovered.
