manston mirror - Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum Manston

RAF Manston Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum
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MANSTON MIRROR
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September 2013
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MAGAZINE
Issue no: 3
Battle of Britain Anniversary edition
Price: £1.50
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To contact:
RAF MANSTON
SPITFIRE &
HURRICANE
MEMORIAL
TRUST
AMERICAN BUSINESS BEAUTY
THE MUSEUM
THE AIRFIELD
MANSTON ROAD
RAMSGATE
KENT
CT12 5DF
Telephone:
01843 821940
Email:
spitfire752@
btconnect.com
VISIT:
Spitfiremuseum.org.uk
Registered charity
Number: 298229
REGISTERED MUSEUM
NUMBER: 1991
……………….
EXCLUSIVE!
ACTOR: Martin Shaw
TV’s Inspector George
Gently makes it to
RAF band concert in
the ‘nick’ of time
Page 4
HIGH FLIER: Ken Wills C.Eng, FRAeS, C.Mgr, FCMI at the controls inside the new showroom.
New Museum chairman is
proud to re-introduce US
aviation back to Manston
to get Bell Helicopter to Manston. I
am very proud of Heli-Charter for
bringing this famous American
aviation company here.
“I am also delighted to take on
my new role as chairman at the
Museum which is a wonderful
heritage centre full of important
Mr Ken Wills, C.ENG, FRAeS, artefacts. I plan to help steer it
C.Mger, FCMI, takes on the top towards a bright future. It deserves
role in the wake of the launch
to see many, many visitors from
of Sapphire House in Merlin
not just the local community but
Way, Manston - the new UK
from all over the world. Manston
home of the famous US aviation is an important landmark on the
giant Bell Helicopter which is a
aviation map of Britain, and its role
Textron company.
during World War Two should not
Mr Wills, Gary Slater and Elaine be forgotten. The Museum is close
McCole-Slater and top crew at
to my heart.”
Manston based Heli-Charter
Mr Wills, 59, is also aware that
won a contract to be the sole
the Museum is visited by American
independent UK importer and
tourists who had relatives based at
retailer for Bell Helicopter.
Manston in the USAF during the
Bell, originally from Texas,
Cold War.
USA, began making aircraft
He said: “It will make great sense
before the war. Today, 53 years
for Heli-Charter and Bell Helicopafter the US Air Force left
ter customers to make their way to
Manston at the end of the Cold
the Museum too for the full on
War in 1960 the stars and stripes Manston experience!”
have returned!
BEYOND OUR KEN Mr Wills said: “We worked hard
The Big Interview - pages 10 - 13
AN aviation pioneer who
bought America back to
Manston after more than a
fifty year absence has been
appointed chairman of The
RAF Spitfire and Hurricane
Memorial Museum.
GIRL POWER
Ace volunteers Sarah Turner,
..
left, and Natalie Duwel-Bou
Orm at The Mercian Regiment
Band concert. See our report
and pictures of a great event.
ONLY INSIDE YOUR
MIRROR
Bomber Command
hero returns to
Berlin as our
Special
Correspondent
FULL STORY &
PICTURES - page 9
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MANSTON MIRROR
MANSTON MIRROR
Crowds salute Mercian Regiment musical
fundraiser and Spitfire flypast at Museum
EDITOR: MELODY FOREMAN
If you have a story for us or
would like to advertise please
email:
[email protected]
Telephone: 07876 018243
Copyright: Melody Foreman and the RAF Manston
Spitfire & Hurricane Museum Memorial Trust
……………………
CONTENTS
Actor’s Biggin Hill dash.……..4
Spitfire pilot’s Dutch tale ….5
Ron flies with a Hurricane….6
Ask the Pilots &
Poetry Corner…………………….7
Graduate tale…………………….8
Ich bin ein Berliner……….…..9
Beyond Our Ken……….10 - 13
From Manston with Love……..
14 & 15
Letters……………………………...16
SPELLBOUND: A solemn moment among the crowds on a late summer’s evening as the
Mercian Regiment Band play William Walton’s Battle of Britain March in the grounds of the
RAF Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum at Manston in tribute to Spitfire pilot, ‘Dick’
Edwards who died recently aged 89.
SUNSET SENSATION: The Spirit of Kent Spitfire flown by Dan Griffith swoops overhead.
Classic Collection……………..17
Belgian pilot hero……18 & 19
Crossword………………………..20
EVENTS DIARY
The RAF Manston Spitfire &
Hurricane Memorial Museum at
Manston is open every day
(except Xmas) from 10am to
5pm. Free coach parking and
the Merlin Café.
GOODWOOD REVIVAL
Sussex - September 13—15
SHUTTLEWORTH
UNCOVERED AIR DISPLAY
Old Warden, Bedfordshire
September 22
AUTUMN AIR SHOW
Imperial War Museum
Duxford, Cambs
October 13
LINE UP: The Mercian Regiment Band and the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment rehearsed
in fatigues and stayed at Manston a week before the concert at the Museum. They are
pictured here with their Bandmaster WO Ivor Evans, BA (Mus) front right, and Trustee Sid
Farmer in the blue shirt.
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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MANSTON MIRROR
Did you know..?
FAMOUS: The Mercian Regiment Band and musicians of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment
entertain the audience with a programme of classical favourites including Rossini’s William Tell
Overture, and hits from the musicals.
FLYPAST: The ‘Spirit of
Kent’ Spitfire Mk IXe
TA805 roared over the
Museum courtesy of
Peter Monk of Biggin Hill
Heritage Hangar.
TOP regimental musicians
helped to raise more than £500
for the popular RAF Spitfire and
Hurricane Memorial Museum.
There was also a fly past by the Spirit
of Kent Spitfire which roared across
the skies at the start of the charity
concert presented by The Mercian
Regiment Band and musicians of the
Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.
The event was held in the Museum
grounds in honour of the memory of
‘Dick’ Edwards of 66 Squadron - the
last surviving pilot of Manston’s own
Spitfire Mk XIV TB752, who died
aged 89 this summer.
It also marked the inauguration of
the Museum’s newly appointed
chairman, the leading entrepreneur,
engineer, aviator and philanthropist,
Mr Ken Wills.
Along with the classics the audience
were also entertained with a medley of
Rolling Stones’ hits, plus a stunning
rendition of Anthony Newley’s
‘Feeling Good’ and a number from
Fiddler on the Roof. Bandmaster
Warrant Officer Ivor Evans BA (Mus)
LRSM told the crowds the band were
delighted to play at the Museum.
He said: “We visited the Museum
last year and were very impressed. It
is a great venue for us and a special
honour to play in memory of
Spitfire pilot ‘Dick’ Edwards.”
Half the band members included
talented women musicians.
Bandmaster WO Evans is a former
full time infantry soldier who served
in Kosovo.
Museum Trustee and concert
organizer Sid Farmer said: “We had
a wonderful evening and it was a
delight to see such a large crowd.
We’d like to thank everyone for
their donations, and a big thanks to
our volunteers for their help.”
.
The Mercian Regiment formed on
September 1, 2007, at Tamworth
Castle in the presence of The
Colonel in Chief, His Royal
Highness The Prince of Wales.
Three regular regiments and one
Territorial, each with more than
300 years of loyal and professional
service to the Crown merged to
create the Infantry’s newest
formation known as the ‘Mercian
Regiment’.
The regiments who form the Mercian (based in Wolverhampton –
part of the once ancient kingdom
known as Mercia) include The 22nd
Cheshire Regiment, now
1 MERCIAN (Cheshire); The
Worcestershire and Sherwood
Foresters Regiment, now
2 MERCIAN (Worcesters and
Foresters); The Staffordshire
Regiment, now 3 MERCIAN
(Staffords); The West Midlands
Regiment and The King’s Cheshire
Regiment, now 4 MERCIAN (V).
The Volunteer Band of the Mercian
Regiment, previously The West
Midland Regiment Band formed in
1999 as an amalgamation of two
previously established bands, The
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
(Warwickshire) and The 3rd
Staffordshire Regiment. The band
now has new Mercian Regiment
uniforms and performs at a variety
of engagements throughout the
region.
Twice daily flights to Amsterdam where you can enjoy seamless
connections to more than 130 destinations across the world.
‘It was wonderful to
welcome the Air Training Corps
led by Flt Lt John Kealy to the
concert. We thank them
very much for the musical
entertainment during the
interval. Their support at our
Museum events is invaluable.
How wonderful 2433 Ramsgate
Squadron collected
donations worth more than
£500 - superb! Thanks to all!’
- Sid Farmer
Museum Trustee
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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MANSTON MIRROR
Star presenter in heroic dash to
keep charity RAF band concert
date in memory of ‘The Few’
TELEVISION’S Inspector
George Gently star Martin
Shaw endured a nightmare
train journey to Biggin Hill.
Martin, a keen aviator, had
agreed to be the narrator for the
Central Band of the Royal Air
Force at last month’s Musical
Salute to ‘The Few’.
However, his journey to the
event was horribly delayed and
he only just made it on time to
the all important concert at the
former World War Two airfield.
Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar
spokesman Robin Brooks said:
“Martin was brilliant! He was a
real hero to make it on time!
“He was on his way to us from
Glasgow where he had been busy
filming the second season of the
popular Inspector George Gently
BBC television show.
“Railway engineering works
caused a terrible hold-up as he
made his way down to London
early that morning and he told me
he sat on a stationary train for
what seemed like hours!”
PILOT: Martin Shaw
The actor’s arrival in the capital was
made even more fraught when he got
off the train at Euston only to learn
that the car ready to speed him to
Biggin Hill for the 3pm concert
was waiting at Kings Cross!
Mr Brooks said: “But Martin kept his
nerve and was determined to
honour his commitment to the
thousands of people at the concert
paying their respects to the men
and women of the RAF of World
War Two.”
The event was in aid of the Royal
Air Force Benevolent Fund and
Chartwell Cancer Trust.
With just minutes to spare that
day (Aug 17) Martin in smart
dark suit made it to the stage to
announce the band and pay tribute
to ‘The Few’.
Mr Brooks said: “Martin was
hungry and exhausted from his
grim nightmare journey but he
was a true professional and
carried off his concert role with
real aplomb.”
The concert also featured
Spitfire and Hurricane displays
with several veteran RAF and
Air Transport Auxiliary pilots
meeting Martin in the VIP tent.
The actor owns a Stearman
aircraft and once flew Spitfire
MJ627 while filming a popular
television series about aviators
for the Discovery channel.
ATA pilot: Mary Ellis, 94
Hurricane pilot ‘Nev’
Croucher of 289 Squadron.
ATA
pilot Joy
Lofthouse,
left, Mary
and ‘Nev’
above,
met Martin
Shaw at the
Biggin Hill
concert.
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RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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MANSTON MIRROR
Spitfire pilot returns to his wartime crash site fifty years on:
Today we publish ‘Dick’ Edwards’ exclusive diary entry from 1995...
EARLY in May 1995 my
wife ‘Nan’ and I had the
good fortune to attend
the 50th anniversary
celebrations of the
Manston Spitfire TB752,
writes ‘Dick’ Edwards.
This particular aircraft, a Mk
XVI Spitfire, first entered
Squadron service in March
1945 with 66 Squadron RAF
with which I was serving at
the time in Europe. It was
later discovered that I was the
first pilot to fly this machine
on operations.
Unfortunately TB752 did not
last long with 66 Squadron as
another pilot bent it and after
repair it was issued to 403
Squadron Royal Canadian
Air Force in April 1945.
After the war this aircraft
had a chequered career with
the RAF until being retired to
serve as ‘gate guardian’ outside the Station Headquarters
at RAF Manston, Kent.
Here the weather began to
take its toll until the Medway
Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society decided to
restore it, as it was realised it
was the sole remaining
wartime Spitfire in Kent.
Their efforts not only at
restoration but fundraising
too were so successful that
they were able to built a
permanent building in which
to house the aircraft and thus
the Spitfire Memorial Building at RAF Manston came
into being.
Some half a dozen ex-pilots
of TB752 from various
Commonwealth countries
were able to attend the 50th
anniversary celebrations, as
well as wives and widows
and we had a magnificent day
blessed with a heat wave!
Starting with a memorial
service we were treated to an
air show of Spitfires
(including a two seater flown
by a lady pilot, Carolyn
Grace), Harvards, a Chinook
helicopter, a Tornado and a
Canberra. The hangar doors
remained wide open for the
rest of the day until in the
evening we attended a formal
dinner in the Officers’ Mess
Z
at Manston. A truly splendid
occasion and a fitting climax
to a wonderful day. Our host
for that function was the
Station Commander Manston,
Wing Commander David
White.
Leaving England we spent
a few days in Amsterdam
visiting friends, one of whom
lived near me in Howick,
South Africa, prior to her
remarriage. If Manston
proved a memorable day then
Holland provided the cherry
on the top.
I had always had a wish to
re-visit a German Hospital in
Apeldoorn in which I spent a
few days as a Prisoner of War
after being shot down by
flak on April 1, 1945, near
Zutphen.
Unbeknown to me our
Amsterdam friends initiated
further enquiries into the
events of that day, starting
with the Dutch State Institute
of War Documentation.
That organisation passed on
the names of several private
researchers of wartime aircraft
crashes in the area in which I
had been operating and after
sifting through a couple of
potential scenarios we decided
on one being as the most
likely.
After more investigation I
was taken to the very field in
which I had crashed and after
50 years I was introduced to
the three Dutch farm workers
Meneers D. Lokhorst, J
Lokhorst (brothers) and G J
Bouwmeester who pulled me
out of the wreckage. This was
a truly emotional experience
and on both sides we were
able to confirm details of the
event which were hazy or
doubtful to each other.
I was able to confirm that
my rescuers attempted to hide
me from capture but were
forestalled by German
intervention. With hindsight
this probably saved my life for
my rescuers were not to know
that my injuries required
serious medical attention.
This I was able to obtain at St
Joseph’s Hospital, Apeldoorn,
as a POW as were several
British Amy personnel who
had been captured in the
Arnhem debacle.
REUNION: ‘Dick’ second right in Holland
in 1995 at a memorable spot!
He is pictured with, from left, the two
Lokhorst brothers and G J Bouwmeester.
Liberation by the Canadian
Army followed and by
the end of April I was then
evacuated by air to hospital
in England.
May 1995 proved to be one
of the most momentous
months of my life and we
are most grateful to all those
including South African
Airways who helped make it
possible.
PILOT:
‘Dick’
Edwards.
We were sad
to report his
death
recently
aged 89.
This article first appeared in a Royal Air Forces
Association Newsletter in July 1995. Today the
MANSTON MIRROR MAGAZINE publishes it
with the kind permission of Mr Lewis Deal of
Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd.
MEDWAY AIRCRAFT
PRESERVATION SOCIETY LTD
Patron: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
AFIS Unit, Rochester Airport, Maidstone
Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 9SD
A Boulton Paul Defiant recently restored by MAPS
now on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon
Our workshop is open to visitors on Monday,
Wednesday and Sunday 9am - 12.30pm.
We also have a Visitor Centre and Shop.
Tel: 01634 204492
Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd
is proud to support the RAF Spitfire &
Hurricane Museum at Manston
KH
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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HAPPY DAY: Ron, left, meets Flt Lt Charlie
Brown who flies Spitfire BM597. (A big
thanks to Jim Brookes who took this snap)
ICONIC: The Hurricane ZS140 in the sun at Pent Farm Airstrip, Postling, near Hythe.
She flew next to a Heli-Charter helicopter carrying veteran pilot hero, Ron Dearman.
World War Two RAF pilot praises aviators
for his great ‘Fly with a Hurricane’ experience
MUSEUM host Ron Dearman was thrilled
to fly in a Heli-Charter helicopter next to a
World War Two Hurricane.
Former RAF pilot Ron, 90, stepped aboard a Bell
Jet Ranger aircraft to watch RAF Flt Lt Dave
‘Harvs’ Harvey fly the Hurricane IIa Z5140 over
Battle of Britain country last month.
The event was organised by Action Stations!
Ron took off with Heli-Charter from Lydd Airport.
Ron said: “I can’t praise the helicopter and
Hurricane pilots enough! They did a fantastic
job. It was thrilling to be back in the skies
again. I was truly delighted.
“I chose to fly with a Hurricane as there
are only six left flying in the world today.
The Hurricane is a wonderful aircraft.”
During World War Two Ron flew Dakota
aircraft over the Burma jungle and dropped
MERLIN
CAFETERIA
DYNAMIC
DUO:
Hurricane
pilot Flt Lt
Dave Harvey
and
Heli-Charter
ground ops
ace, Paul
Reynolds.
essential supplies to the Chindits. He said:
“The Hurricane squadrons always flew on
ahead clearing the skies of any Japanese
waiting to attack us!”
During his big day out Ron from Birchington
also met RAF Flt Charlie Brown who flew
Spitfire Mk Vb BM597 at the event.
The Spitfire and Hurricane are owned by
The Historic Aircraft Collection.
Manston Airport
Established: 1993
WELCOME! We are situated behind the
RAF Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum
and remain open SEVEN days a week.
All food is freshly prepared to order and served
from 10am to 4pm each day.
Why not try our all day breakfast? We also serve tea,
freshly ground coffee, and filter coffee, and a wide selection
of cold drinks. There is also a children’s menu. Coach parties
and large groups are welcome to the Museum and café.
There’s a great parking area too!
Telephone: 01843 821945
SINCE 1982 Thanet Flying Club has been owned and
operated by TG Aviation.
TG Aviation offers not only the best facilities in the south east
but also the best value for money combined with the highest
quality of training. But why take our word for it? Instead, why not
pay us a visit and find out for yourself why we believe we are
the best? Based at Manston on the Isle of Thanet, TG Aviation
is open seven days a week throughout the year and provides
one of the most highly maintained fleet of light aircraft available
for training and self hire.
These are kept in excellent condition by our own team of
engineers. We have a professional team of flying instructors
with commercial licences headed by Captain Dave Henderson.
Never flown before? Try a gift voucher or a trial flight.
CALL US NOW: 01843 823656 or 823520
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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MANSTON MIRROR
BATTLE OF BRITAIN ANNIVERSARY
PILOT HERO FEATURE SPECIAL
IN May 2010 the Museum
welcomed a VIP guest from
Belgium keen to visit our
Hurricane flown during
World War Two by the
famous Belgian pilot, Daniel
le Roy du Vivier DFC.
Adrienne Lecoeuvre told
Trustee Sid Farmer that
‘Roy’ had known her father,
another Belgian pilot hero ALBERT VAN DEN HOVE
d’ERTSENRIJCK, and they
had served together in 1940
with 43 Squadron at Kenley
and both had seen action over
the skies of Kent during the
Battle of Britain.
Adrienne and her husband,
Phillipe who have written a
book about Belgian pilots, also
visited Wye, Kent, where on
September 15, 1940, her father
died crash landing his stricken
Hurricane. Albert was killed on
the day the British secured air
supremacy over the German
Luftwaffe.
On pages 18 & 19 we tell the
story of pilot Albert - the son
of a Baroness who was known
affectionately among pals as
‘vivacious Hole’ because he
won a beer drinking contest!
A big thank you to Adrienne
and Phillipe Lecoeuvre - Ed.
HAUNTING: Adrienne Lecoeuvre at the Museum with our Hurricane. Can
you see the ghosts of her father, Albert, left and pilot pal Le Roy?
INSET: Left, Pilot Officer Albert van den Hove d’Ertsenrijck (1908-1940),
and Daniel le Roy du Vivier, DFC (1915 - 1981) After the war le Roy du
Vivier joined Sabena Airlines. He died in a car crash in the USA aged 66.
ASK THE PILOTS
This month our Hurricane veteran
SGT PILOT ‘NEV’ CROUCHER reveals
his secret method of downing the enemy
in our skies during World War Two...
I FOUND out by chance just
what to do if I encountered any
German fighter aircraft.
I remember it was a busy day in the
summer of 1943 over the skies of
Scotland. I was with 289 Squadron
and based at Turnhouse.
A lot of our flying had been patrol
work and keeping a look out over the
docks and going all out to scare off any
enemy who might fly too near.
That particular morning I jumped into
my Hurricane Mk I at the call to scramble
as we’d been told a squadron of German
Me109s were heading our way.
I soon found out the information was
correct as I watched my pals dodging and
chasing the Germans who twisted and
turned the Me109s around us.
Suddenly I saw an Me109 straight
ahead of me and my windshield received
a spray of bullets from him! I just
automatically pushed the gun button and
unloaded the Hurricane’s ammunition at
him. We were flying with those old
Browning .303 machine guns with
the small bullets. Scary to think the
Germans had small cannons to blow us
out of the skies and we had a few rounds
of bullets. We had just fifteen seconds of
fire burst before they ran out!
Meanwhile as I fired away at the Me109
ahead of me I watched the tail of his
aircraft just disintegrate. I couldn’t
believe it and then I heard one of my
mates over the radio shout: ‘Bullseye!’
I didn’t hang around to see if the pilot
had managed to parachute out. I had no
idea what happened either to his
aircraft after my attack.
I just corkscrewed into a roll and got
out of the way of his mates in case they
came after me. Once your ammo was
gone it was best to head home.
When I did land again the mechanic
started moaning because I’d fired all of
the bullets! I think he thought I might
have wasted them!!
It’s strange the way it all happened
though as I had been told by some
friends of my parents who were
Quakers to do my best not to directly
kill anyone. I had often thought if I
aimed at an aircraft tail then the pilot
might have a chance to bale out.
After that scary day over the seas of
Scotland I would do my best to give
chase and not let the Germans fly behind me. Mind you my squadron was
a great bunch and we looked after each
other. The Hurricane’s firing power
became much more effective when the
RAF finally fitted us out with better
guns in the wings. It made for a fairer
fight in the skies.
The secret of survival was keeping a
good look out, giving chase when you
could, having a shot at the tail of the
German aircraft, and being bloody
lucky. I was also dreading the idea of
using my parachute so maybe that
helped keep me on the ball!
In 1945 ‘Nev’ became part of the new
287 Squadron and finished the war at
West Malling RAF base in Kent. He is
now a popular member of the crew at
our Spitfire & Hurricane Museum - Ed.
POETRY
CORNER
with Museum
host and writer
BOB LEVINE
THE CHANNEL DASH
From Manston they flew, sedately they rose,
headlong those swordfish
to a nemesis in flight.
Six they flew, to each one three all held
together, with spars and linen throughout
maelstroms of defiance unwavering in line,
as game to a lion to their quarry
they became.
Through cannonades of fire,
torpedoes aimed,
into walls of water they swerved
and swayed,
as shadows of squadrons descend
to their prey,
one by one to the Channel they fell,
with too few survivors to tell their tale.
No mortal wounds for those
steely fortresses,
scurrying home in disbelief, of those vintage
stringbags who dared be their foe.
Bob Levine
FT
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
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MANSTON MIRROR
COMING SOON: GREAT NEW LOOK WEBSITE AT
WWW.SPIFIREMUSEUM.ORG.UK
Museum volunteer scoops history
degree for expertise about Nazi
attitudes to sport and propaganda
A UNIVERSITY graduate who
examined ways the German
high command exploited the
Isle of Man Motorcyle Race at
the outset of World War Two
is proving a star volunteer at
our Museum.
Robert Westbrook, 22, was awarded
his history degree after three years
of study and a unique dissertation
about the Nazi publicity machine
from 1938 to 1940.
Thanet man Robert graduated this
summer from the award winning
Canterbury Christchurch University.
Today, he is a regular member of
the Museum support staff and his
knowledge of vintage motorcycles is
second to none.
He said: “I am a Westgate lad and
used to visit the Museum all the
time. I grew up with it in my life.”
History enthusiast Robert owns
three motorcycles of his own and is
a wizard at understanding the full
mechanics of them too.
“I guess it’s in the blood,” he said.
“My grandfather, Bill Wild, was a
motorbike dispatch rider during
World War Two. He served with the
Royal Marines based in Germany and
France. He knew it was dangerous
but always said it was better than
being a foot soldier!
“Then great-great-grandfather, Bob
Crump, was in the Kent Cyclist
Battalion in World War One.
“He lied about his age and joined up
aged 15. His unit then became part of
the Infantry Regiment.”
When he is not at the Museum
Robert is helping at his friend’s new
bike shop and taking part in events
organised by The Ramsgate Old
Motorcyle and Motor Club.
Morris Minor driver Robert added:
“I am keen to learn more about
engineering, and increase my
knowledge of vintage vehicles.”
GRADUATE: Robert Westbrook and a BSA WM20 - a
vintage wartime motorcycle on show at the Museum.
Buttonholes
& Bouquets
Wedding Cars
Telephone: VERA & CLIVE
01233 712506 / 0774 211 8218
Wilderness Farm,
Stalisfield Church Road,
Charing, Ashford, TN27 0HE
BIGGIN HILL HERITAGE HANGAR
We are dedicated to the safe restoration and
continued safe operation of our aircraft.
We are based at the famous World War Two
RAF Aerodrome at Biggin Hill, Kent.
The aircraft we operate comprise several
superb airworthy examples of legendary WW2
Supermarine Spitfire and other fighter aircraft each
with extensive wartime histories.
We aim to provide current and future generations
the chance to see airworthy Spitfires and
Hurricanes up close and in the air. We have open
days and attend air show events.
VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS
www.buttonholesandbouquetsweddingcars.com
Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar proudly supports the RAF
Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum at Manston, Kent.
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
8
……………………………………………………….
MANSTON MIRROR
SPECIAL REPORT
Bomber Command hero and Museum host
GERRY ABRAHAMS:
‘Ich bin ein Berliner’
AS a pilot I first went to Berlin on the Berlin Airlift in
1948 and spent nine months on a mission to keep the
West from falling into Soviet hands.
The Berliners, totalling around one million at that time, lived
on just 1360 calories a day which was barely enough and sixty
seven of my RAF comrades died making sure the starving
German people survived. For 13 months essentials like coal,
heating oil, medicines, and food were airlifted into the stricken
city in an endless stream of transport aircraft operating at two
minute intervals day and night in every kind of weather.
I went back a few years later as the Germans were not allowed
their own airline out of Berlin and things had improved to a
certain extent.
Now, and thanks to the National Lottery War Heroes Return
Fund, I had the chance to return and found that Berlin is a
scene-stealing combo of glamour and grit, teeming with top
museums and galleries, grand opera, gourmet restaurants and
temples and ethnic snack shacks. Whether your tastes run to
posh or punk, you can sate them in Berlin.
Despite its often hectic pace, Berlin today functions on
an exquisitely human scale. Traffic flows freely, the public
transportation is brilliant, you can walk without fear at night,
clubs have no velvet ropes and your restaurant bill would only
buy you a starter back home. You quickly are swept away by
the riches, quirks and vibrancy of this fascinating city .
When I was there the second time I discovered how going
through the Brandenburg Gate meant leaving a free and happy
society to a gloomy fear ridden vista of communist repression.
Now, on each side happy people play, eat and dance.
The Jewish Museum is a poignant reminder of an evil past but
also a symbol of hope that such people as the Nazis can never
arise again in Europe and no people will be persecuted because
of their religion. The Reichstag, now rebuilt is Berlin’s greatest
attraction, with its great glass dome giving a fine view of
Berlin. I’m glad I returned to this city and am sure I will be
excused as I look around if I feel a slight tingle of pride.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: RAF
Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial
Museum volunteer, Gerry Abrahams.
MONUMENT: The Brandenburg
Gate in Berlin, summer 2013
Pictures of Berlin today taken by Gerry Abrahams
BERLIN LANDMARKS: The Jewish Cemetery, left, and a sign indicating
the famous German ‘cross over point’.
BELOW:
A C-54
landing at
Templehof
in 1948.
THE PLOUGHMAN’S CHOICE
FARM SHOP
‘Fresh local produce straight from the farms’
IN Germany in 1948 American C-54s were stationed at Rhein-Main,
Wiesbaden, Celle and Fassberg in the British Sector. The British
flew Lancasters, Yorks, and Hastings aircraft. We even used our
Sunderland Flying Boats to deliver salt, using Lake Havel in the
middle of Berlin for a base. Every month the tonnage increased
and soon exceeded the daily requirements. Every day, tonnage
records were being set, and the constant drone of airplanes
overhead was music to the ears of Berliners. Eventually,
rations were increased and life in West Berlin improved.
Somali Farm, Park Road, Birchington
Telephone: 01843 831077
Opening times:
Monday to Saturday
8am to 5.30pm
Sunday
10am - 4pm
TEAROOM
You can find us too at the Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum, Manston
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
9
……………………………………………………... MANSTON MIRROR
BEYOND OUR KEN
Recently appointed as
Chairman of the
RAF Manston Spitfire &
Hurricane Memorial Trust
the entrepreneur and
aviator KEN WILLS
talks exclusively to
Melody Foreman about
bringing the Americans
back to base at Manston,
the launch of a pioneering
new helicopter
enterprise and so
much more...
Picture: Melody Foreman
STUNNING EXPERTISE: Heli-Charter pilots in action over Battle of Britain country in May 2013 flying with Spitfire MkV BM597
belonging to the Historic Aircraft Collection. RAF Flt Lt Charlie Brown is at the controls of the Spitfire. The event was organised by
Action Stations! The Heli-Charter crew are hailed as ‘supremely professional’ by thousands of passengers every year.
MANSTON’S glittering new Sapphire
House accommodating Bell Helicopter
is the multi-million pound creation of
a man already known in the world of
flight as a pioneer and a diamond
character in the hearts and minds of
all he meets.
I mention his name once to the volunteers at
the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum
and I hear stories of kindness and charity and
how they got free flights in his aircraft for
helping at an air show one year.
And yet as engineering wizard Ken Wills
launches his vast new age, and light bountiful
helicopter wonderland this autumn he remains
as serene as Da Vinci putting the finishing
touches to that now famous 15th century
drawing of a rotating device indicating how
man could use it to fly.
“Follow me…” he says the other day when we
meet and so I trot along behind this Kent born
visionary like a wide-eyed child. Where exactly are we going? What is this cliff hanger of
a surprise? This is no ordinary guided tour and
he is no ordinary Pied Piper! We are in fact
on the final approach to a 21st century homedesigned architectural wonder.
Ken’s hand is poised over the door handle. The
atmosphere crackles with anticipation. Then
we’re into the light. We stand in the hallowed
glow of an awesome auditorium ready to house
and applaud the sight and sound of any number
of bright new helicopters made by Bell
Helicopter - a Textron Company.
Still reeling from the cathedral like eminence
of the first arena I am then introduced to the
immaculate aviation repair and maintenance
space, and then we stride dutifully along a
labyrinth of virgin magnolia corridors leading
to rooms and restrooms for more than a 100
staff. Up the steps and now on the second
floor of this vast hangar we can peer over a
balcony at the scene below. Within days staff
will be working on this vast stage presenting
the greatest helicopter show on earth.
As with the work of all great Renaissance
men the end of one project heralds the start
of another, another, and even another if the
illuminating career of entrepreneur Ken
Wills C.Eng, FRAeS, C.Mgr, FCMI, is to be
studied.
So just how does he do it? Who is this
powerhouse of a man who owns Heli-Charter,
the helicopter sales, training, maintenance
and leasing business with staff including
Heli-Charter bosses Gary Slater and Elaine
McCole-Slater calling Sapphire House
‘home’ and operating a galaxy of stars with
names like Aerospatiale AS355 Twin Squirrel
or the Bell 206 Jet Ranger and other Ken
faves including the Augusta 109, and the
royal VIP passenger classic, the Bell Airwolf
222. His imagination and drive also led him
to found Summit Aviation in 1991, a unique
company approved by the Civil Aviation
Authority which already basks in a globally
established reputation for the overhaul
of mighty JT8D and JT3D (jet turbine)
engines. Summit which is made up of
committed staff, some of whom are
successful NVQ apprentices from Thanet
Engineering Training Institution, resides
next door to Sapphire House.
As he tells me this I strain to hear as a cargo
aircraft roars loudly overhead. “That’s an
old engine,” he says, “I can tell by the
noise!”
We talk about jet engines briefly and Ken
wearing light khaki trousers, loafers, and
casual red striped shirt says it’s all about
balance. Balance? Hmm, is this his answer
to my questions about how to live a highly
successful life?
He continues: “Our engineers know exactly
how to get the balance right to ensure a well
overhauled engine should last for up to thirty
or forty years.”
Ken is chief executive of Fire Technology;
and also a company called China Gateway
International. His philanthropic works extend
continued on page 11
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
10
……………………….
to Cambodia, the Ukraine, China and also the
UK. This summer the man with the winning
smile and rugged good looks also became
Chairman of the RAF Spitfire and Hurricane
Museum Memorial Trust.
“No need to mention the charitable causes is
there?” he asks. I nod eagerly. In my book if
the man does good then it’s all the worth
mentioning in a cynical world. Renaissance
man or woman must be celebrated whatever
the century or social culture. Agreed?
“I’d rather talk about my flair for creating
dedication,” he says. “If you look at the people
I work with you’ll find they stay with me.”
Note our Ken says he works ‘with’ his crew
and they don’t work ‘for’ him. He knows what
hard work is all about and Sapphire House is
the culmination of many years of commitment
to the aviation, construction and property
industries.
I detect a touch of genius here. Motivated
people and success go together like Heli and
Charter. He stresses how luck has been his
constant companion, and how at 59 he is still a
driven character then admits the ambition has
mellowed a little..but only a little!
Once again the importance of working
alongside a dedicated staff is vocalized softly
yet clearly. “I am proud, very proud there are
at least twenty people who have stayed with
me for twenty years or more.
“My friend Roy Buckman began working for
me in the construction business back in 1975
and he retired only recently. He worked with
me for 36 years! That man gave me his
working life. What an honour for me.”
In 2007 Thanet College crowned Ken the
UK’s only Industry Professor of Business,
Construction and Engineering.
Thirty years previously he was fulfilling a
long time dream to fly a helicopter. An even
younger Ken in the 1970s paid for flying
lessons at the Cinque Ports Flying Club at
Lydd, Kent, where he took to the skies in a
Cessna 150 fixed wing aircraft and rapidly
achieved his pilot’s licence.
His natural flair as an aviator scooped him
the title of a World Record Breaker for
precision helicopter flying in 1993. At
Rochester Castle as part of the BBC’s famous
‘Record Breakers’ television show Ken
demonstrated how he could scoop up rubber
dog rings from the ground with the skids of
his Jet Ranger helicopter and place them on a
target.
He prefers to fly helicopters because they are
more versatile than fixed wing aircraft. “They
go sideways, backwards and can hover in one
place. That’s great, isn’t it!”
As a boy growing up with his builder dad and
nurse mum in a small house in Ashford, Kent,
did he ever envisage such entrepreneurial
success in his future life? “Oh I always had
ambition. I loved school and really loved
exams,” he replies. “I was also intrigued early
……………………
MANSTON MIRROR
ACE PILOT AND ALL
ACTION BUSINESS
HERO: In 1993 Ken
achieved a world
record for helicopter
precision flying.
Today Ken and his
dedicated staff have
brought America back
to Manston with Bell
Helicopter.
on in life, and still am, about the mechanics
of things. I always want to know how things
work. I remember once coming home from
school after a physics lesson and telling my
dad all about the workings of an internal combustion engine!
“That’s about when it all really started and
then I became mad keen about motorbikes.
I’d also offer to help fix my friends’ cars
too.”
Ken left school with a pocketful of A Levels
and for a brief spell he worked at Hornby
Toys in Margate as a line manager for Scalextric cars. “I loved that job,” he says.
There is a touch of wistfulness in his voice
but we move on and I hear the details about
his later job as an industrial engineer in London.
His flair for team building began shortly after
he was asked to re-wire his landlady’s house
in London.
“Before I knew it I was being asked to sort
the wiring in her neighbour’s place, then
someone else’s, then another and so it went
on along the street until I made friends with
an electrical contractor and we began
to build up even more of this kind of work
together. In those days London councils
were offering grants to good construction
companies which could re-roof Victorian
properties in Wimbledon and also in
Wandsworth Common. I secured the
work and along with the staff went on from
there.”
Ken doesn’t mention wealth or the VIPs
he’s met (although he shyly recalls a
chance meeting with Margaret Thatcher)
Instead he does talk more about his
storming amount of luck and being in
the right place at the right time.
He is hugely passionate about learning
new skills and philosophies and makes sure
each business trip offers him a new perspective on life and work.
“I’ve worked with lots of other cultures,
and I am fascinated to find out what works
for them. I like to think this has enlightened me and helped me have a rounded
vision of the world which I put into my
business. I love a challenge, in fact I
continued on page 12
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
11
…………………………………………
MANSTON MIRROR
‘I am thrilled to think Heli-Charter’s relationship with Bell Helicopter has
brought an American presence back to Manston again after more than a
fifty year absence!’ - Ken Wills, C.Eng, FRAeS, C.Mger, FCMI
continued from page 11
crave it,” he says.
When he did helicopter business in
Cambodia after the Vietnam War he wanted
to repay the local people for their hard work
and hospitality so he built a school for their
village. This was a project he oversaw and
so began a raft of philanthropy over the
years including the creation of the Odessa
Childrens’ Charity in the Ukraine, and
Cancer Care Appeal events.
Today this Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical
Society, and one of the UK’s leading
Chartered Engineers, is also the proud
holder of an American Pilots’ licence for
fixed wing aircraft.
This latest achievement aligns family man
Ken and his new Sapphire House beautifully, even fatefully, with his new role as
chairman of the Spitfire and Hurricane
Memorial Museum Trust at Manston.
Firstly the US Air Force was based at
Manston during the Cold War of the 1950s.
Then to look at the history of the worldfamous Bell Helicopter company and
we discover how during World War Two
founder Larry Bell was producing the
successful fighter aircraft, the P-39
Airacobra and America’s first jet-powered
aircraft, the P-59.
By 1951 Bell Helicopter, based in Texas,
USA, was in service around the world.
Today more than sixty years later the
new Sapphire House at Manston will be
sparkling with a dusting of Bell’s diamond
jubilee of fame. “Aviation has always excited me,” says Ken, “just as I am excited
about being part of the future of the Spitfire
and Hurricane Museum. Manston has an
incredible history and one of which I am
incredibly proud to be part of. I love it.
“I work with some wonderful people at the
Museum where I had acted as a Trustee for
a few years. I admire the dedication of all
those who help ensure it is a cracking place
to visit.
“Manston played a major role defending
Britain during World War Two and of
course our link with the US Air Force which
moved into the area during the cold war in
the 1950s is of great interest to me.”
Having travelled the globe, apart from
Australia which he ‘hasn’t got round to yet’,
he knows America well and admits he likes
California but he wouldn’t want to live
there.
No his heart is set in Kent and Sapphire
House is set to hook up neatly with more
Ken style philanthropy as he sets out to
The German
Sausage Company
work closely with the country’s vital air ambulance charities. Police helicopter
services too. He has also has plans for
Manston to become the UK’s major centre
for helicopter rescue and emergency pilot
training too. “With them working with
Heli-Charter it means we can learn a lot more
together,” he says.
Ken’s family home sits on a Kent cliff top by
the sea and it inspires him. He romanticizes
about the scenery. “I can see Joss Bay, and a
golf course, and from my window throughout
the seasons I can see only beauty in the skies
and look into the mysteries of the beyond.”
More pictures on page 13.
MANSTON
ACTION: The
Bell Airacobra
P-39, above.
LEFT: The emblem
of the United
States Air Force.
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RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
12
……………………………………………………...
MANSTON MIRROR
KEN’S FAVES..
FILMS:Notting Hill, and
The Thomas Crown Affair
WINE: Chateau Margaux
CAR: A vintage Jaguar
CITY: Canterbury
AIRCRAFT: A Bell
Helicopter Airwolf 222
SAPPHIRE HOUSE AT MANSTON: The stunning new home of Heli-Charter and Bell Helicopter. The
building is due to be officially opened on September 21. VIP guests including the President of Bell
Helicopter John Garrison from the USA have been invited to a launch party.
STUNNING: The new magnificent new helicopter showroom on its way to completion last month.
WHO INSPIRED YOU
THE MOST?
The writer Dale Carnegie
(1888-1955) ‘How to Win
Friends and Influence
People’ He said it was
important to learn to smile
because we don’t do it
naturally.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK
FOR IN THE PEOPLE
YOU WORK WITH?
Honesty, Integrity,
Ambition and Drive
DID YOU KNOW?
OH BABY:The famous Channel hopping model
Hurricane sits beneath the undercarriage of the
life size Hurricane IIc LF751 at the Museum.
ON Friday July 13th, 1990, lucky Ken flew his
helicopter next to a radio controlled baby Hurricane
over the Channel. Ken took off with the feisty little
fighter aircraft zipping alongside and made the
twenty or so miles over the Channel to land back in
Blighty! Enthusiasts Malcolm Martin, Dave Hayfield
and Andrew Gillingham took part in this unique
aviation event. You can see the model aircraft and
pictures of this historic ’Fly with a Baby Hurricane’
event in the RAF Manston Spitfire & Hurricane
Memorial Museum today.
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
13
…………………………………………………..
MANSTON MIRROR
The farm girl who survived Nazi bomb attacks and found
true love with US Air Force pilot
ON January 9, 1997, DAPHNE
ROWAN gave a talk about
wartime Manston to an audience
of American friends and
neighbours.
This month your MANSTON
MIRROR is privileged to publish
important excerpts from her
diaries of those war years.
Although Daphne died several
years ago her younger sister,
Delphine Mitchell, gave us
permission to print a treasured
family photograph and this
important record of social
history for the first time ever.
MY name is Daphne Rowan and my
family and I lived through the Nazi
attack on Great Britain in World War
Two. I would like to share some of
these experiences to let you know of
the heroics of the British people
between 1939 - 1945.
My family name was Solly and we
were farmers and lived in a quiet
peaceful village called Manston close
to the White Cliffs of Dover which
overlooked the English Channel.
On a clear day we could see the
French coast from our bedroom
windows which was only 22 miles
away. The village consisted of one
street called ‘High Street’. At one
end was the Church of England
church, and at the other end our 1856
Methodist flint stone chapel. There
was also a village pub, a shop and a
post office.
Adjoining the village was a Royal
Air Force Fighter station which
played a large role in World War
Two. This is the background of a
little corner of south east England
which became known as ‘Hell Fire
Corner’ for the duration of the war.
On September 3, 1939, war was
declared between England and
Germany and our lives changed
forever. Immediately we were issued
with gas masks and ration books and
allocated air raid shelters. No one
knew what to expect and then there
was a sudden evacuation of non
essential people from our area. We
had become a military fortress with
barbed wire and anti-aircraft guns
installed along the whole length of
the coastline. Shops and schools
were closed and boarded up.
HAPPY HOME IN ATLANTA USA IN THE EARLY 1960s:
Daphne, baby daughter Shelley, and USAF pilot husband,
Charles Rowan. Today Daphne and Charles’ son Clay
Rowan is a pilot with Delta Airlines in US.
Schoolchildren were then
evacuated to the northern part
of England and separated from
their parents. My eldest sister,
Barbara, joined the Womens’
Land Army and she was sent to
the west country to work on a
dairy farm for the duration
where she milked the cows in
the morning and delivered
milk with a pony and trap to
the villagers. I was too young
to be evacuated and so my
baby sister Delphine and I
continued on page 15
JOLLY FARMER
The Jolly Farmer has been a pub in the heart of
Manston village since 1639. Why not visit us and
check out our traditional English home cooked
cuisine, fine wines and ales. Our garden is great for
families and we can provide marquees for those
special occasions too. A warm and friendly welcome
is assured at The Jolly Farmer!
Tel: 01843 823208
www.jollyfarmermanston.co.uk
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passive fire protection including
intumescent coatings, beam and column
encasement, lift shafts and risers, fire
stopping as well as all penetrations along
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Dry lining including fire board to provide
thermal and acoustic as well as fire
protection falls within our remit – to
summarise, all forms of protection to
quality standards is our proud claim and
is supported by our ISO 9001:2000
accreditation and a prestigious
Investors in People award
Hartsdown House,
Hartsdown Park,
Margate, Kent CT9 5QX
Tel: 01843 228899
www.fire-tech.co.uk
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
14
…………………………………………………….
continued form page 14
remained with our parents,
Reginald and Florence. Food was
scarce, gas masks heavy and air
raid shelters became part of our
lives for a very long time. Our
week’s food ration was: 4 ounces
of lard, 4 ounces of bacon, 4
ounces of margarine, 2 ounces of
meat and corned beef, 2 ounces of
butter and cheese, 3 pints of milk,
1 egg; and just 8 ounces of sugar
per month.
We were issued with ration books
for food and clothes, and petrol
was only for business.
We were always on alert listening
for planes and the sound of their
engines. You could tell a lot from
the engine sound and knew if it
was friend or foe. Sometimes
German aircraft would come low
machine gunning at random and
drop the odd bomb.
My dad had a couple of narrow
escapes while up a ladder pruning
the apple trees when a Heinkel
bomber dropped out of the clouds
and strafed the orchard close to the
house. He crawled under a chicken
house to escape the bullets.
Another time he was in a field
on the farm which adjoined the
runway on the airfield when there
was a surprise attack by a German
aircraft dropping incendiary bombs
which were full of oil.
In 1940 the evacuation of Dunkirk
began and the RAF flew to France
to beat back the Germany army
and help the many thousands of
British soldiers trapped on the
beaches.
By the summer of 1940 the Battle
of Britain had begun. It was a time
when we learned the meaning of
survival. Manston Aerodrome
had squadrons of Spitfires and
Hurricanes and became one of the
most attacked air bases because of
its proximity to the coast.
I remember a daily battle in the
skies overhead for a couple of
weeks. These always seemed to
happen at mealtimes. The whistle
of the bombs falling and the noise
was unforgettable. Our one big
thought was of survival.
For weeks we saw pilots fighting
for their lives above us and for
many it was their last battle. By
1944 the size of the runway at
Manston was increased and 174
acres of concrete enabled it to be
used as an emergency landing strip
for US bombers returning from
raids over Germany. Many pilots
of badly damaged B-17 Liberators
of the US 8th Air Force found
Manston a welcome sight.
Manston was equipped too with
the latest fire fighting equipment…
Daphne’s notes stop here but
she often ended her talks paying
great tribute to ‘The Few’ - Ed.
RAF invited to historic home
of Museum education events
A TOP representative from
the MoD at Manston and
serving RAF pilots who fly
a Spitfire and Hurricane have
been invited to a presentation
event to launch new education
workshops.
Warrant Officer Martin Russell
of the Fire Training Development
Centre, and Flt Lt Charlie Brown,
pictured above left, and Flt Lt
Dave ‘Harvs’ Harvey, right, are
due to join RAF Spitfire and
Hurricane Memorial Museum
chairman, Mr Ken Wills, at a
dinner on Saturday, October 5,
at Monkton Village Hall, near
Ramsgate, Kent.
Firstly certificates of thanks will
be presented to Museum volunteers
and RAF pilot veterans, Neville
Croucher, 90, Ron Dearman, 90,
and Gerry Abrahams, 90.
Guests will also make a toast to
the future success of a new series
of Museum education workshops
held at Monkton Village Hall.
Trustee Rosa Sear representing
the committed volunteers on the
education committee said: “We
feel the Village Hall is an ideal
venue to host our work with
young people wishing to learn
more about World War Two.
“The Hall has a history in itself.
It was built in 1915 and in recent
years heroic villagers like Pete
and Daphne Mitchell have
campaigned hard to keep the
developers from pulling it down.
“Pete and Daphne have battled
hard to make sure the venue was
refurbished and now we have a
beautiful fully equipped kitchen
and stage area. We look forward
to welcoming schoolchildren and
staff and will announce dates of
forthcoming history events soon.”
MANSTON MIRROR
MONKTON MOMENT: Pete and Delphine, and dog Toby left, with
our Museum Trustee Rosa Sear, right, at the historic Monkton
Village Hall which is the new home of Museum school workshops.
DELPHINE Mitchell, 76,
(Daphne’s sister) who lives
with husband Pete and dog
Toby in Monkton, takes over
the story…
‘In 1956 Daphne married
Charles Rowan who was a
serving USAF pilot and stationed
at Manston. During World War
Two he flew Flying Fortresses,
and then he was stationed at
Manston during the Cold War. He
also flew in the Korean War, and
then served in Vietnam.
Charles was a lovely chap and
my sister fell for him as soon as
they met in Manston. Not long
afterwards they moved to
Georgia in the USA and had a
family. Charles loved England
though and was always keen to
visit us. Sadly he died in 1988
and Daphne died a few years ago. I
have some very happy memories of
them though. Charles was a very
likeable guy and was such an
accomplished pilot.’
In the 1960s Delphine worked
for Aero Marine Photography
and remained near to the village
in which she grew up. Today
she is a member of the Monkton
Village Hall committee and a
keen local historian.
Monkton
Village
Hall
The Village Hall at Monkton, near Ramsgate, Kent,
can be hired for parties, meetings, clubs, wedding
receptions, keep fit, dance classes, quiz nights,
etc for very reasonable rates.
The Village Hall has recently been refurbished with
fully equipped kitchen and stage.
TO FIND OUT MORE
PLEASE CONTACT:
Mr Pete Mitchell on 01843 821439
before 6pm or email
[email protected]
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
15
…………………………………………………...
MANSTON MOMENTS
Your Letters
Band night fun
for birthday boy
Write to the Editor
[email protected]
Anonymous letters will not be published.
Mystery object intrigues me
I WOULD like to thank everyone
at the Museum who helped the
Mercian Regiment Band concert
go with a swing. It was a truly
memorable evening and also
happened to be my birthday so
what a way to celebrate!
The programme for the evening
was a delight and of course the
flypast by the Spirit of Kent
Spitfire was an absolute joy. Dan
Griffith is a superb pilot and I
hope he managed to catch a
glimpse of all of us in the crowd
offering up hearty applause for
his display over the Museum.
I was also impressed by the
traffic control at the event! The
young woman organising all the
parking did a brilliant job.
Well done to all at the Spitfire
and Hurricane Memorial Museum
and of course the Band. It was a
brilliant night. Thanks!
ROD STEVENS
Ramsgate
Thanks for your kind words,
Rod. The volunteer you mentioned
helping with the car park control
was our own former Royal Navy
petty officer, Sarah Turner - Ed
IN last month’s MIRROR I read about a mystery artefact
which Museum collections officer Tony Sturgess was
planning to put on display this Autumn. For a couple of
weeks I have been racking my brains over this with
Tony’s only clue being it is of German nature. The
Museum already has some amazing German artefacts
including the rare Iron Cross medal dug up from a Kent
field, and various items from a uniform. However, I am
keen to know just what the latest artefact will be. Tony?
SUSAN T GRAHAM
Maidstone
RAF Spitfire & Hurricane
Memorial Museum
Tony tells me the mystery artefact is being examined for
conservation purposes and all will be revealed soon - Ed.
A big welcome to
British Airways
MANY of us were delighted
to see the magnificent BA
Airbus at Kent International
Airport this summer.
I note the totally amazing
Dreamliner brought the
crowds flocking too!
I sincerely hope to see more
BA aircraft at our airport.
Charles Buchanan is doing a
great job by attracting these
amazing passenger jets to
Manston.
JEAN BLIGH
Minster
Dakota Ron is best!
THREE cheers for your
Museum host Ron Dearman.
I had a brilliant time when I
visited your amazing heritage
centre and I couldn’t believe I
had opportunity to meet a man
who actually flew aircraft
during World War Two. Ron
told me his favourite aircraft
was the Dakota and he spent
some of the war dropping food
and essentials to the Chindits
out in the jungle of Burma.
Ron was incredibly informative
about the Spitfire and Hurricane
in the Museum too and his
friendly chat made my visit so
much the better. When I turned
up at Manston I had taken a day
out of work determined to visit
the Museum which I had known
about for many years but had
never got around to calling in.
Thank goodness I found time to
do so. I will return soon with
my family and friends.
B. JOHNSON
Folkestone
MANSTON MIRROR
Cartoonist tale reminded me of my great-uncle
I READ with interest the article
about the wartime Daily Mirror
cartoonist, Philip Zec.
My great-uncle was a cartoonist
from 1956 with The Daily Mail. His
name was John Musgrave-Wood
(1915 –1999) and his signature on
his artwork was ‘Emmwood’ He was
married to my paternal grandfather’s
sister, Joan. During the war though I
understand he was sent to India and
became a Chindit with the Burma
Rifles. After the war he published a
humorous account of his experiences
called Jungle, Jungle, Little Chindit.
He first went to work for the
Evening Standard and lived for
many years at Sandwich Bay during
his time at The Mail. He was also
involved in the Prince’s Golf Club.
When he retired he moved to
France. I never knew him well but I
understand he was quite a feisty
character!
MELODY JEFFERYS
Manston
Journalist and pal to the Hollywood greats
applauds your MIRROR
MY father Donald Zec who is in his
nineties gave last month’s article about his
cartoonist brother, Phil, some wonderful
feedback. I also send my warmest
congratulations.
PAUL ZEC - Museum volunteer
Ramsgate
I am chuffed by your father’s praise,
Paul! He is a big name in show business
FAME: Showbiz author Donald Zec meets journalism and is one of my heroes! - Ed
Donald Zec OBE
film legend Marilyn Monroe in 1960.
MUSEUM HOST:
Wartime RAF pilot
Ron and a Dakota.
See page 6.
Congratulations to
Ron who has just
become a
great-grandfather to
baby, Johan - Ed.
DON’T MISS
YOUR
MANSTON
MIRROR
MAGAZINE
EVERY
MONTH
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
16
……………………………………………………
MANSTON MIRROR
CLASSIC COLLECTION
..
with historian Natalie Duwel-Bou Orm
A close up look at outstanding artefacts at
The RAF Manston Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum
IT felt like Christmas! That delicious
feeling when you open a surprise
present and gasp at the contents!
I, however, refer back to March 2013 when
I was assisting Tony Sturgess, Collections
Officer, with cataloguing artefacts. This
involves preparing a detailed description of
each object, photographing and recording it
and then carefully storing the said pieces in
museum quality acid-free paper and boxes.
I was intrigued when I came across an unused
box of ‘Wild Woodbine Cigarettes,’ produced
by W.D and H.O Wills; Bristol and London.
This famous product had been launched in the
UK as far back as 1888. I carefully noted down
each torn corner and
advert for ‘Handy
Brand’ Pure Starch,
and then carefully
opened up the box to
reveal perfect tiny
packets of cigarettes,
as fresh as when
this box had been
produced during
World War Two. My
curiosity was aroused when I saw a tiny piece
of paper, barely sticking out and sandwiched
between two cigarette packets.
“…I think of you every
day and trust that when
you go to France you
will have good luck
and a safe return.
There seems to be
terrible fighting out
there.”
This poignant letter
immediately raised
concerns. Did the dear
friend ever see the
letter? Was the sender
ever able to reconnect
with his/her friend?
Why weren’t the
cigarettes ever
smoked? Were they a sentimental keepsake or
a love lost? There are endless scenarios;
however, I somehow feel that there may have
been a sad ending to this letter. It is open to us
to interpret, yet the evidence is tinged with an
element of sadness and worry. This rare item
will be on view at the Museum at a later date.
If you recognise the artefacts mentioned
above and/or know more about their origins
then do please get in touch with me at the
Museum. Tel: 01843 821940
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was among
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during World
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If you know of a
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Or you have a good
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Or you need some
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Then please visit our
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Telephone our Honorary Administrator
Gillian Robinson on 01580 752210
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RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
17
BATTLE OF BRITAIN ANNIVERSARY
……………………………………………………
MANSTON MIRROR
The ‘vivacious’ Belgian pilot who
took on a German bomber formation
wearing his dinner suit and bowtie
ON July 14, 1940, RAF PILOT
ALBERT VAN DEN HOVE
d’ERTSENRIJCK wrote the
following to his wife, Laure:
PROUD: Fighter pilot Officer Albert van
den Hove d’Ertsenrijck.
‘WHEN you receive this letter I shall not be
anymore of this world. But I want you to
know that I did my duty to the end and that
you can be proud of your husband. Being in
France at the time of the Franco German
armistice signing I refuse to obey the
capitulation order of the Belgian government
in France, having estimated that my duty
was to defend the allied cause presently
represented by Britain. I have since
succeeded in enlisting in the RAF after a
voyage of one month.
I can completely assure you I died as a
Christian, my conscience being clear and
quiet, in defence of the good cause.
When I took the decision to see my native
country and my home again only after the
victory of Britain I did not forget you my
loving Laure, I did not forget my two loving
daughters, Adrienne and Rosemary.
I was where duty was calling me and I did
consign you all to the Divine Providence and
more particularly to the Virgin Mary who
never refused me anything. I have asked her
to look after you in all respects being
convinced she would do it better than I, and
I am gone to my destiny with a conscience
clear. I ask you to forgive me for all the
sorrows and disappointments during the
six and a half years of marriage we had
together. I have not always been kind to
you; I did not cherish you as I should
have. I beg your pardon for it. Goodbye
my dear Laure. Goodbye my two loving
daughters, I shall pray for you all in
heaven and I shall wait for you’ - Albert.
**********
THIS deeply honest letter from Pilot
Officer van den Hove d’Ertsenrijck
is a moving example of the RAF’s
portentous orders during World
War Two instructing its crews to
write their goodbyes to loved ones
’just in case’ they never made it
home again.
For Albert as one of Belgium’s greatest
aviators he arguably wrote the missive fully
believing the Belgian Embassy would have
no need to send it on.
Previous letters to his wife Laure always
enthusiastically mentioned how ‘his lucky
star’ was with him, and how during the
German bombing raid on his squadron
aerodrome in Schaffen, Belgium, he got
continued on page 19
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and Master of Ceremonies.
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Contact Ken: The Old Coach House, Gleanings Mews,
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Telephone: 01634 402684
www.kentappenden.co.uk
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
18
……………………………………………………
continued from page 18
through it all with ‘a smile’.
Indeed in 1933, and with just two
years experience as an aviator flying
with the Belgian ‘Thistle’ squadron
he was forced to bale out of his
Fairey Firefly after an accident. The
aircraft was a write off.
Albert had escaped unscathed and
was in fine form to marry his fiancé
the Countess Laure Gaspard Marie
Josephe Ghislaine Cornet d’Elzius de
Peissant just ten days later at the end
of September at Beyghem.
Albert was born in 1908 in Charleroi,
Belgium. His mother was Baroness
Margueritte-Marie Coppens, and his
father, Joseph, was a senior official in
the military.
His new wife also learned each time
he visited home of his adventures in
the air, the aeronautical work with the
Observer corps and other important
training sessions.
Albert’s record as a pilot was an
admirable one with his commanding
officer describing his skills as
‘always completely satisfactory’ and
as someone who had the aptitude and
necessary ‘zeal’ to lead a squadron.
Documentation and reminiscences of
him describe a courageous and big
hearted and vivacious young man
who earned the nickname ‘Hole’ (or
‘trou’ in French) because he once
won a beer drinking competition. His
commanding officer said Albert had
the capacity of a hole. The name
stuck and whenever his pals were
looking for him they’d holler
‘where’s Hole!’
On March 2, 1940, Captain Albert
‘Hole’ van den Hove was forced to
crash land his Hurricane no.39 when
returning from a mission because
of problems which developed with its
two bladed propeller.
The aircraft wing had caught the
ground and tipped over at Bierset,
Leige aerodrome and was a write off.
Albert had tried to put down in a
nearby field to soften the blows but
he suffered minor injuries and was
taken to recover in the local hospital.
Within weeks on May 10 the
‘Thistle’ squadron base at Schaffen
was bombed by the Germans. Pilots
including Albert were scrambled to
defend the skies overhead and in
Hurricane H23 he helped to destroy
a Heinkel and take shots at several
Dornier 17s heading straight for him.
Albert landed his bullet ridden
Hurricane at Beauvechain.
Squadron Leader Captain Guisgand
wrote: “My Gloster Gladiator is
in the sky waiting the arrival of the
fighting group. I arrive alone,
then there’s a Hurricane, this is
Jacobs..here, another Hurricane!
This is Captain van den Hove - ‘the
vivacious Hole’ a true fighter. He
attacked alone a bomber formation.
He came back disgusted ‘I think he took
a hit,’ he tells me ‘but the pig did not
move and continued on course with no
sign of a hit.’
On May 10 the morning had been
steeped in fog and in the confusion
Albert claims he attacked a Do17
however reports refer to a He111.
Let’s forgive ‘the Hole’ if he got a little
confused as both aircraft are twin engine
bombers, and also he had been up until
3am from the night before partying with
the British protection unit which had
arrived under the command of Captain
Gerard.
There is a wonderful picture of the
‘morning after the night before’ showing
Albert wearing his evening wear, white
collar and bowtie underneath his flying
suit! This depiction of ‘the vivacious
Hole’ is like something out of a James
Bond film!
The adventures continued but within
few weeks the heroic Belgian fighter
pilot was being labelled a thief and a
traitor by those he had stood up to.
Along with a few friends from ‘Thistle’
squadron he had gone missing and his
family had no clue where he was.
However, Albert was busy doing his
best to escape life as a Prisoner of War
as the Germans arrived in Belgium. He
refused to surrender and commandeered
a car hoping to escape to Spain and get
to Britain. He mentions this in his
‘farewell letter’ to Laure which he hoped
would never be sent because he was
determined he would see her and their
daughters again. Eventually he got to
Gibraltar and boarded a ship heading for
Liverpool.
For nineteen weeks Albert had just
‘disappeared’ leaving friends and family
fearing the worst. From June 1940 to
MANSTON MIRROR
September 1940 he had written three
letters to Laure but she didn’t receive
them until months after his death. In
one of them he lets her know he has
joined the RAF in England, and he
apologies if she has suffered because
of the German invasion of Belgium.
Shortly after his determined arrival in
Britain, Albert was assigned to 43
Squadron at Tangmere, West Sussex,
where he proved a serious foe in the air
to any German aircraft.
On September 4 he wrote to his friend,
Doutrepont, and said he had shot down
two Me110s, although a third aircraft
he was aiming at put a bullet through
his engine and oil sprayed all over
his face forcing him to land quickly.
Poor Doutrepoint died the same day as
Albert on September 15.
On that day, a day which was to go
down in history marking the British
victory in the battle of the skies, Pilot
Officer Albert was with 501 Squadron
based at Kenley. They were scrambled
into action and at 11.30am Albert is
last seen at 20,000 feet in the air under
fire from the enemy.
A 15 year old Don Key was fishing by
the River Stour, near Bilting, Wye,
Ashford, Kent, that day when he saw
Albert’s Hurricane P2760 in trouble.
He recalls a trail of smoke coming
from the engine as the aircraft headed
for a field. The pilot was then seen to
try and clamber out of the cockpit at
around 200 feet to perhaps jump into
the river but the aircraft came down
too fast, hit some trees and landed in
the water. Witness Don ran towards
the wreckage and saw Albert floating
face down. He had died when his head
struck the trees. Some experts say
’Hole’ may have lived if he’d stayed
in the cockpit.
Pilot Officer Albert van den Hove
d’Ertsenrijck was buried in Lympne
churchyard, Kent. 1949 his remains
were removed and reburied in Belgium
with full military honours.
Melody Foreman
DASHING: Can you
see Albert’s white
collar and bowtie
under his flying
suit? This picture
was taken on
May 10, 1940 - the
day he took on
the Luftwaffe at
Schaffen. He’d
been celebrating
the arrival of the
British Army in
Belgium the night
before.
THE RAFA Club
Ramsgate &
Broadstairs is
holding a
parade to mark
the 74th
anniversary of
the Battle of
Britain at
St George’s
Church,
Ramsgate
on Sunday,
September 15.
A wreath will
be placed at
the Museum
in Manston.
A memorial
plaque on the bank
of the River Stour
where Albert was
killed was erected
by landowner,
Mr Peter Maylam
in 2010.
ABOVE: Hurricane Mk 1 H23 flown by Albert in
Belgium with the ‘Thistle’ squadron.
LEFT: Emblems of 501 Squadron & 43 Squadron.
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
19
……………………………………………………..
CROSSWORD
Compiled by Dr Julian Brock
Across
Down
2. Bomber from Yorkshire or
Nova Scotia (7)
1. Bridge over a Greek
"rushing river", destroyed in
1942 (12)
4. Allied operation near Caen,
using quality timber (8)
MANSTON MIRROR
3. Admiral of Sparta, assisting
SOE missions (8)
5. A new phase of the war began
6. His Frau's birthday was 6th
here in December 1941 (5,6)
June (5,6)
8. Operation to take German
scientists to the USA - ripple cap 7. Japanese admiral - moot
maya (anag) (8)
(anag) (9)
9. December 1944 battle in Bel- 10. Divine Wind (8)
gium - stone bag (anag) (8)
14. Red-rose bomber (in 15th
century war?) (9)
15. French guerrillas (almost a
nobleman) (6)
16. Significant 1944 battle in
Asia - lap him (anag) (6)
18. Vital oilfield in south-east
Europe - pet soil (anag) (7)
19. A 1944 agricultural operation
failed at this bridge (6)
20. Rocket research station on
the Baltic coast (10)
11. Allied double agent, or film
actress (5)
12. Field Marshal Paulus was
captured after this battle (10)
13. Supposedly Panzer-proof
European forest - and sneer
(anag) (8)
17. Busted German dam (5)
ANSWERS TO AUGUST 2013 CROSSWORD
ACROSS :1. SCHWEINFURT 4. ADLER TAG 8. MANHATTAN 9. KOHIMA 11. BIG WING 13. RUPERT 14. SORPE
15. SAINTE MERE EGLISE 17. TANGMERE 18. AIREY NEAVE DOWN: 2. COLDITZ 3. ENIGMA 5. BENTLEY
PRIORY 6. VERLAINE 7. CHAIN HOME 10. ORDE WINGATE 12. ABWEHR 15. STUFFY 16. EDER
The RAF Spitfire &
Hurricane Memorial
Museum GIFT SHOP
is open every day
RAF MANSTON SPITFIRE & HURRICANE MEMORIAL MUSEUM - MANSTON MIRROR September 2013
20