Harris family, farmers of Southampton 1916 - 1946

[BushInn1746]

I am interested in a 1940 aircraft incident which occurred on one of the rented farms of George Harris and Mr C. W. Smith in the Southampton Water area.

One farm Bury Farm, Marchwood, Eling, was it seems, partly sublet to a Mr C. W. Smith, who had moved to "Wyke Regis", Whitenap [Botley Road], Romsey by late 1941.

The farms occupied by George Harris and then Mrs George Harris (from about 1940), Southampton were:-

Crabwood Farm, Crabwood Road, Wimpson and
Lower Wimpson Farm, Mansel Road, Millbrook
Harefield Farm, West End Road Bitterne and Lordswood, Shirley.
Bury Farm, Marchwood.

Thanks Mark

[bearkat]

You may find something on the Southampton PortCities website

http://search.plimsoll.org/cgi-bin/dialogserver.exe?FILE=search&DB=plimsoll

Street diectories may help pinpoint where they were living and when

http://www.plimsoll.org/Southampton/streetdirectories/default.asp

[Bilge]

I know of one aircraft crash in the area the date is unknown. But it was off the Arters Lawn Road, Marchwood, right on the edge of the forest. I believe it was either New Farm or New Cottages that the crash occurred. I am also led to believe that there was a POW Camp close to the crash site.

[BushInn1746]

You may find something on the Southampton PortCities website

http://search.plimsoll.org/cgi-bin/dialogserver.exe?FILE=search&DB=plimsoll

Street diectories may help pinpoint where they were living and when

http://www.plimsoll.org/Southampton/streetdirectories/default.asp

Thanks Bearcat
Regards Mark

[BushInn1746]

I know of one aircraft crash in the area the date is unknown. But it was off the Arters Lawn Road, Marchwood, right on the edge of the forest. I believe it was either New Farm or New Cottages that the crash occurred. I am also led to believe that there was a POW Camp close to the crash site.

Thank you

I have been attempting to research (for a decade now) RAF aircraft which collided with balloon cables during the August 1940 period in the Southampton Water area, in official RAF records and files.

One aircraft (described as 'unknown' at the time) in RAF records, but must have been a friendly RAF aircraft, as the collision incident does not appear in the official RAF file and list of enemy or German aircraft hitting balloon cables, hit the balloon cable sited on Bury Farm, Marchwood and flew on, at night, in the early hours of the morning.

I wondered please, if anyone, can recall (or has family knowledge of), or discovered other local sources referring to the collision incident and what happened next?

I have been through the surviving Observer Corps collection at Hants CRO and have the OS War Grid map, but there was no aircraft plotted anywhere near that balloon cable on the exact date and early hours time period stated in official RAF records.

I am led to suspect that the collision with the balloon cable at Bury Farm, Marchwood (Southampton Water), may have occurred the day before, according to aircraft plots in two Observer Corps Post Log Books.

Thanks Mark

[BushInn1746]

I know of one aircraft crash in the area the date is unknown. But it was off the Arters Lawn Road, Marchwood, right on the edge of the forest. I believe it was either New Farm or New Cottages that the crash occurred. I am also led to believe that there was a POW Camp close to the crash site.

Sergeant E W Sterling, Sergeant J C Tomlin (RCAF), Sergeant W Williams, Sergeant C C Gibson: killed; aircraft crashed near Totton on return from operational flight over Cherbourg, France, Hampden P5392, 408 Squadron, 15 December 1941

Location also given as New Farm, Longdown and Longdown, Marchwood, Totton.

New Farm, Long Down, near Christchurch, Hampshire in the No. 408 (RCAF) Squadron ORB (TNA, Kew, AIR 27/1796/9 )

Mark