Hurricane Stow! A moment in time from 80 years ago
Almost 80 years ago, at the height of the Battle of Britain, a lone Hawker Hurricane made an emergency landing on a field in the Essex countryside. Having just shot down one enemy aircraft, it was damaged by another and needed to make a forced landing. That Essex field was, in fact, Stow Maries, a former RAF Great War fighter base.
Now, as part of the Battle of Britain 80th anniversary commemorations, we have a unique opportunity to bring an original Hawker Hurricane back to the skies over Stow Maries, for a series of flypasts, as we invite our visitors and supporters to come together and remember the heroic sacrifice of the ‘the Few’.
We need your support to make it happen.
Let’s take you back to 1940, where it all began:
On the 7th September 1940, one of the most active days of the Battle of Britain, 21 year old Denis Crowley-Milling was flying as Red 3 in Douglas Bader’s 242 Squadron operating out of RAF Coltishall in Norfolk in one of the first operations by Baders ‘Big Wing’ of three squadrons working together.
242 Squadron was scrambled during the afternoon to intercept an incoming raid heading for the London docks. The interception was made over the east of London. Crowley-Milling successfully destroyed an ME110, but was in turn hit by an ME109, who managed to put a bullet through his radiator, another through his left aileron, and a third into the armour plating behind the pilots seat.
Severely damaged and just able to keep control of the aircraft, Crowley-Milling desperately sought somewhere to put the aircraft down. Luckily spotting what looked like an airfield below he made a high-speed crash landing, wrecking the undercarriage, but the aircraft luckily did not catch fire. He suffered severe bruising and a cut to the head.
Crowley-Milling climbed out and made his way to a nearby searchlight position, where he was given first aid and a cup of tea. It was here that Crowley-Milling found he had landed at the abandoned RFC airfield of Stow Maries in Essex.
The aircraft was later dismantled and taken away by an RAF Queen Mary trailer.
Crowley-Milling went on to have a very successful career in the RAF, retiring as Air Vice Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling, CBE, KCB. He died in 1996.
This was the only time Stow Maries saw a landing by a Hurricane, and there is now no more poignant time to remember this historic moment.
Your donation will help secure the Flypast of the Hawker Hurricane and details regarding tickets will be available nearer to the time.
Should we achieve more than our target, then excess funds will go towards the operating costs of the site.
Now, as part of the Battle of Britain 80th anniversary commemorations, we have a unique opportunity to bring an original Hawker Hurricane back to the skies over Stow Maries, for a series of flypasts, as we invite our visitors and supporters to come together and remember the heroic sacrifice of the ‘the Few’.
We need your support to make it happen.
Let’s take you back to 1940, where it all began:
On the 7th September 1940, one of the most active days of the Battle of Britain, 21 year old Denis Crowley-Milling was flying as Red 3 in Douglas Bader’s 242 Squadron operating out of RAF Coltishall in Norfolk in one of the first operations by Baders ‘Big Wing’ of three squadrons working together.
242 Squadron was scrambled during the afternoon to intercept an incoming raid heading for the London docks. The interception was made over the east of London. Crowley-Milling successfully destroyed an ME110, but was in turn hit by an ME109, who managed to put a bullet through his radiator, another through his left aileron, and a third into the armour plating behind the pilots seat.
Severely damaged and just able to keep control of the aircraft, Crowley-Milling desperately sought somewhere to put the aircraft down. Luckily spotting what looked like an airfield below he made a high-speed crash landing, wrecking the undercarriage, but the aircraft luckily did not catch fire. He suffered severe bruising and a cut to the head.
Crowley-Milling climbed out and made his way to a nearby searchlight position, where he was given first aid and a cup of tea. It was here that Crowley-Milling found he had landed at the abandoned RFC airfield of Stow Maries in Essex.
The aircraft was later dismantled and taken away by an RAF Queen Mary trailer.
Crowley-Milling went on to have a very successful career in the RAF, retiring as Air Vice Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling, CBE, KCB. He died in 1996.
This was the only time Stow Maries saw a landing by a Hurricane, and there is now no more poignant time to remember this historic moment.
Your donation will help secure the Flypast of the Hawker Hurricane and details regarding tickets will be available nearer to the time.
Should we achieve more than our target, then excess funds will go towards the operating costs of the site.
Organizer
Joanne Burton
Organizer
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Limited
Beneficiary