The Bf110 (Me110) that was forced to land on School Farm
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August 15th 1940 was really the beginning of the "Battle of Britain". In early August, Goering announced that the Luftwaffe would wipe the British Air Force from the sky but because of the unsettled weather conditions, it wasn′t until the 15th day that any serious attack on the British airfields was made.
In the early morning, of August 15th, the Luftwaffe was sighted over the channel and squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes were "scrambled" to deal with the threat. Fighting went on through the day but in the early evening a bombing raid was made on Croydon Aerodrome, in an attempt to weaken the ability of the RAF to defend London – apparently, the target was intended to be the Hurricane fighter station at Henley Airdrome but an error was made and instead they attacked the semi–civil aerodrome at Croydon.
The raid didn′t go too well, with the flight′s commanding officer killed, seven bombers being shot down, complete with crew, and many of their ′planes damaged as a result of anti–aircraft fire and the defending British aircraft.
Those that had survived broke off the attack in the early evening, and were returning home trying, desperately, to avoid the fighter ′planes that lay ahead, between them and the coast.
As it made its way across the East Sussex country–side, one of the bombers, a Messerschmitt Bf 110D (quite often, popularly, but incorrectly, referred to as an Me110), was attacked by a Hurricane, of 32 Squadron, based at Biggin Hill, and forced to make a landing – he chose School Farm, in Hooe.
At about ten minutes to seven, the pilot Uber–Leitnant Karl–Heinz Koch managed to land his aircraft safely and, virtually, intact. He, and his badly wounded gunner, Uffz Kahl, escaped without any further injury.
Once on the ground, and the two–man crew safely in captivity, the aeroplane was quickly covered over with camouflage, so as to avoid detection and attack from any other German aircraft that would have attempted to destroy it rather than let it, and its design details, fall into the hands of the allies.
Uber–Leitnant Karl–Heinz Koch was taken, temporarily, to Battle Abbey, as a prisoner of war, and guarded by the Devonshire Regiment until he was removed to a permanent P.O.W. camp, where he remained for the duration of the war.
The badly–wounded Uffz Kahl was taken to hospital where he was treated and, eventually repatriated due to the seriousness of his injuries.
The captured bomber, the Messerschmitt Bf 110, had, meanwhile, been shipped off to the United States for technical evaluation by the Northrop Aeroplane Company.
There must have been great excitement in Hooe that night and, probably, for many days to come. There had been other events such as an unexploded bomb, flying bombs, and, even, a Messerschmitt, this time a fighter, the Me 109e that crashed on New Lodge Farm but with the German crew taken as prisoners of war, the covering up to hide the ′plane and its eventual taking away for shipment to the States (I wonder how many villagers watched it being taken away in "secret" so as not to alert any spies!) this must have been a big event!
