Luftwaffe airman statue at Hambledon

[airfields man]

View of Heinkel crash-site area, Statue on the extreme right.

[airfields man]

This aircraft was shot down by a Boulton Paul Defiant. For the full story, including the allied pilots report, google, German airman at Hambledon.

[airfields man]

[Denis]

A prop blade from this Heinkel was mounted in the front garden of a house in Hastingwood nr Harlow up to about the late 80's.
It bore the name of the pilot who shot the aircraft down. For the life of me I cannot remember the inscription on the blade, but I do remember the place name of Hambledown on it. Never did get a photo of that blade

[PNK]

Wasn't the story written up in an aviation mag recently? I think it was one where a young woman helped one of the airmen.

[airfields man]

I first learned of this memorial from Flypast magazine 1997. I'm just surprised that after 12 years it has survived the elements and vandals, though having said that, it is in an out-of-the-way area. Took us a while to find it, drove past a couple of times without seeing it.

[airfields man]

Denis, What a shame that you never photographed the propeller and inscription. But what was it doing at Hastingwood?? Do you have any idea where it went to?

[Denis]

It was on the grass verge outside of the house that belonged to the pilot who shot down the Heinkel. I first became aware of it when I moved to Harlow, A local fellow found out I was involved in aviation archaeology and told me of 'a propellor blade that stuck out of the ground near a hedgerow'. Thinking that this would be an incredible find/stroke of luck, he took me to the location only for me to see the blade had been mounted in a small block of concrete.

The painted writing said something like:
HE111 shot down by ......... .......... at Hambledown in 1941

No idea of its whereabouts now i'm afraid

*edit, just found this on the web.
http://www.hambledonsurrey.co.uk/content/view/43/87/

[norwichpaul]

That is one hell of a moving story Denis thanks for finding it and posting the link.

[PNK]

Downed airman of both sides seemed to be treated with a certain amount of respect by military personnel. It was the civilians who tended to be hostile, probably because they felt helpless at the time and didn't have the discipline of trainined personnel.
This story is part of WW2 history that needs to be covered in more detail but sadly it is probably already too late.