Elham Valley During During War Time
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Elham War Memorial information
Harvest of Messerschmitts by Dennis Knight, is a chronicle of the village of Elham during 1940. It is based on the diary of Mary Smith, who lived in King Post, Elham.
Below is an extract from the book.
29th.August 1940 ..........At about the same time, 501 Squadron. were either attacked in the rear or hit by AA shells over Elham and two planes were shot down before the squadron scattered...... Bill Green was in one of the Hurricanes that went down. He recalled later. " Without warning a hole appeared in the 1/4" plate windscreen as big as a tennis ball and the noise of the splinters shattering around the cockpit will always remain with me. I was immediately covered with glycol liquid and the control column was just like a piece of stick disconnected to anything and quite useless. The engine stopped and I realised that I had to get out".
Sliding back the hood and pulling the pin from his Sutton harness, Green stood up and found himself free from the aircraft and rotating forward with his legs apart. Both flying boots came off and a considerable time passed as he fumbled for his rip-cord. When he pulled it he saw the little pilot chute deploy and detach itself from the main chute, which started to come between his legs - still folded like a roller - towel........ He pushed and tugged, resorted to prayer and thought about his wife Bertha, with whom he'd spent the previous night - she had knitted the warm socks he was wearing. As he realised he was only seconds away from oblivion, there was a jolt and a secondary tug as the parachute lines ripped from the tangled pack and he floated free. After the terror of the fall with rushing air and flapping silk the silence was "noisier than any noise I have ever heard". He saw electricity poles, relaxed and thudded down on a hill overlooking Elham................
(W. Green)
In 1995 Bill contacted Max Laker in Elham as he was trying to get a copy of the book, which is now out of print. An appeal went out in the local news sheet " In and Around Elham" and a copy of the book was soon found for this remarkably lucky pilot.
Bill and Bertha Green came to Elham on 22nd September 1995 and were presented with the book and they visited Mill Hill Farm where he landed .
John Palmer presenting the book to Bill Green, Elham 1995.
Bertha, Bill Green and Bryan Badham, Mill Hill Farm, Elham 23rd September 1995.
After leaving the farm Bill and Bertha went to the Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge where the curator immediately recognise Bill and showed him around the museum and some of the remains of his aircraft. He was also able to update Bill about the details of the crash site for his plane at Ladwood.
Last updated 02/10/2006
