The History of Ashingdon

ANCIENT HISTORY OF ASHINGDON VILLAGE

Ashingdon has been a village for more than one thousand years. It was called "Nesenduna" in the 900s and 1000s and it has had many spellings over the centuries.

Ashingdon and South Fambridge have always been a part of Rochford District, previously called Rochford Hundred, which until the early 1800s included all of Southend on Sea Borough, 6 miles south of Ashingdon. Also in early times, Castle Point District District was part of Rochford Hundred. Rochford was called "Rochefort Hundret" in The Domesday Book. Other spellings in the Middle Ages were "Rochesfort" and "Rocheford".

Our village appears in the Domesday Book produced for King William The Conqueror in 1085 and 1086. Other parts of Ashingdon Parish listed as villages or manors were : "Bacheneia" Beckney and "Phenbruge" South Fambridge. Other nearby villages or manors probably owning land in what is now Ashingdon were : "Carenduna" Canewdon, "Hocheleia" Hockley, "Hechuuella" Hawkwell, "Plumberga" Plumberow, "Puteseia" Pudsey and "Stanbruga" Great Stambridge. North Fambridge on the other side of the River Crouch was called "Fanbruge".

For hundreds of years after the Romans left in about 420AD, England was occupied, divided and ruled by various groups who could be called invaders, settlers or newcomers from neighbouring countries. They included the Saxons and Angles, the two largest early settlers. Then came the Danes and Vikings who mainly settled in the Northeast, the Northwest and in Eastern England. By the 700s to 800s, the East Saxons and the East Angles had been taken over by the Mercians and their kingdoms became part of the Mercians' East Anglia. By the 900s, The Danes had taken over East Anglia, East Mercia and Eastern and Northeastern England. The Danes also took over most of Norway and so their Viking territory in the Northwest and Northeast of England was combined with the Dane's territory in the East of England. There were various kings of the two parts of divided England. One part was The Danelaw which included the east, east midlands, northeast and northwest and it was ruled by Danish kings. The other part was south and west of England from Kent, along the South Coast. the west and west midlands which was ruled by The Saxons and often called Wessex and West Mercia. Some of those kings claimed to be the king of all England.
The "Danelaw" boundary between Saxon England and Danish England was along geographical and historic features. They were : From The North Sea, along The River Thames to Stratford, The River Lea, past Luton, The old Roman Road  past Rugby, north of Birmingham, though the Midland Gap, along The River Dee to the Irish Sea.

At the time of the decisive struggles between the two powers who ruled England, The Saxons and The Danes, there had been many disputes, claims, conflicts and battles. The most decisive was to take place in our village - Ashingdon, then called Nessenduna. King Canute had fought in several conflicts against King Edmund for control of London and the South of England. He withdrew to his stronghold of East Anglia in his Danelaw which included Essex. He sailed into the River Crouch towards Ashingdon and set up his camp at Canewdon. The Saxon king heard of this and he came with his army to Ashingdon which became the base camp of King Edmund Ironside, the Saxon king of Wessex and part of England. Whereas, Canewdon on another hill 2 miles away was the base camp of King Canute, the Danish king who laid claim to England because his father had been King of England, or at least King of The Danelaw, the Eastern regions known as :  Essex, East Anglia, East Mercia and Northumbria.

The claim for the control and rule of England was settled by a battle which took place at Ashingdon in 1016 AD, when Canute fought Edmund and won both the battle and soon after, secured the Kingdom of all England including the Saxon Wessex and their territories : Kent, Sussex, Wessex and West Mercia. As a result of the Battle of Ashingdon, Canute established full control of not only the Danelaw, (the area above the boundary running diagonally across Southern England roughly along the Thames to East of London, up the River Lea to near Luton, then diagonally towards Chester), but also the Saxon Kingdom, the area below and West of that line. After the battle, that area was administered by the Saxons on behalf of the Danish King of (all) England. The area North of the line was ruled directly by the King. The Danes ruled solely from 1016 until 1042, after that, the Saxons ruled solely until 1066 when Duke William The Conqueror and The Normans invaded. Prior to The Battle of Ashingdon, England had almost always been a divided kingdom. After The Battle of Ashingdon, it was always a unified kingdom and single nation, as it is to this day.

After the Battle of Ashingdon, Canute had a Church built in 1020 to honour the defeated but pious and devout King Edmund and all those who died in the battle. King Canute returned to Ashingdon to open the church that he had built which was known then as Ashingdon Minster - now known as St. Andrew's Church. Most of what still stands is mediaeval and some may be based on the original Minster.

The first priest at Ashingdon Minster was a young man named Stigand. By 1052 Stigand had progressed within the clergy to the highest position within the church to become The Archbishop of Canterbury, a position that he held until 1070. In that capacity, he crowned King Harold as King of England in early 1066 and then on Christmas Day, 25th December 1066, it is believed he crowned King William The Conqueror as King of England.

THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY

Archbishop Stigand was Ashingdon's first priest when he was a young man at the opening of our new church in 1020. He is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry on Plate 33. He is shown standing beside King Harold after crowning him. The inscription on the Tapestry in Latin (with missing letters in brackets) says :

"hIC DEDERRUNT: HAROLDO: CORONA(m): REGIS".
"hIC RESIDET: hAROLD REX: ANGLORUM: STIGANT ARChIEP(iscopu)S".

Meaning in English - with missing words in brackets :
"Here they give up (the) royal crown (to) Harold".
"Here sits Harold (the) King of England.
"Stigant Archb(ishop)".

The Bayeux Tapestry image shown is on Plate 33 "Harold is crowned King of England". The copyright is held by The Reading Museum Service on behalf of Reading Borough Council, Berkshire, UK. They kindly gave us permission to depict this image which shows Stigand, our first Parish Priest after Ashingdon Minster was consecrated and opened by King Canute, King of England in 1020.  Reading Museum owns the UK copy of the Bayeux Tapestry and own its copyright. The entire tapestry can be seen in their museum in Reading, Berkshire. The original tapestry made in the 11th century is in Bayeaux, Normandy, France.  http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk/collections/index.htm

THE HISTORY OF SOUTH FAMBRIDGE VILLAGE

South Fambridge has a long history as a farming and maritime community. Fambridge is mentioned in The Domesday Book as a village or manor called "Phenbruge", later called Fambridge, then South Fambridge to differentiate from the other Fambridge north of the River Crouch in Maldon District (then Witbrictesherna (Dengie) Hundred).

It is believed that there was a bridge at this point over the River Crouch, which in ancient times would have been wider and much shallower as a result. Hence the "bridge" in Fambridge. It is also said that there was a ford over the river at this point where there may have been little or no flow at low tide due to the shallower river and that this may possibly have given significance to the term "bridge" in our village's name. Signs of what appear to be the clearly marked wooden reinforced edges of a ford can be seen at low tide.

It is believed that The Fambridge Ferry or Bridge could have been on the route of a Roman Road. It is situated along the route from near Leigh on Sea and the almost straight line of roads from Southend on Sea (earlier Milton), via Rochford, Ashingdon, Fambridge to Maldon, where there was a Roman port, then via Heybridge Tiptree and Birch to Colchester, then called "Colonia" or "Camulodunum". Colchester was the the Roman capital of Britannia until 100AD and a major Roman city and port until about 430AD.

Early maps of Essex indicate the importance of South Fambridge. A map of 1603 shows Fambridge in a line from "Lighe", "Hawkeswell", "S. Fambrige", "Norton", "Maldon". Another map of 1745 shows a major road crossing the River Crouch in a continuous line from "Milton" near Southend on Sea, "Rochford", Farnbridge", "Maldon", "Petersrow" (probably Tiptree) and "Colchester". So, South Fambridge and its crossing was an important north - south road link.

The village is located alongside the tidal River Crouch, where Fambridge had a ferry which operated for hundreds of years across the river to North Fambridge until the 1940s or 1950s. The ferry saved a road journey of nearly 14 miles and from the late 1800s the ferry provided a link with the nearest railway at North Fambridge with connections to :  Burnham and Southminster; To Wickford, Shenfield, Chelmsford and London; To Woodham Ferrers, Maldon, Witham, Braintree, Colchester and beyond. For many years, South Fambridge was a separate parish with its own parish church, parish priest and parish council. It has been part of Ashingdon Parish since the 1940s.

ORIGIN OF THE ASHINGDON VILLAGE NAME

The name of Ashingdon has changed over the years. In Saxon, Danish and Norman times it was often spelled "Nessenduna", later "Assandune" and may have meant either "Ash (trees) Hill" or "Ass (donkey) Hill". Even now, the old spelling of "Assandune" is used. There have been at least 15 different spellings of the Ashingdon village name, some quite unlike today's name. Nearby Canewdon may derive its name from King Canute, who won the battle of Assandune. The village's name may mean Canute's Camp or Canute's Hill, but other theories exist.

ORIGIN OF THE SOUTH FAMBRIDGE VILLAGE NAME

The name of South Fambridge has changed over the years. In Saxon, Danish and Norman times it was often spelled "Phenbruga", later "Fanbruge". The original village name made no reference to "South", it was simply "Fambridge". There are two Fambridge villages. Ours is on the south bank of The River Crouch and another is on the north bank. The word "bruga" refers to a bridge. There may have been no bridge, but, being a shallower river in the past it would have been possible. But, there was supposed to have been a low tide "ford" crossing and there has almost always been a ferry boat crossing the river which may have represented a definition of a "bridge" across The River Crouch.

ORIGIN OF THE RIVER CROUCH AND RIVER ROACH NAMES

The history of The River Crouch tells us that it was an important river, seaway and harbour since before Roman Times. It is probably named after the two places called Creeksea either side of the river which had an old ferry between them. Creeksea near Burnham on Crouch on the north shore of the Crouch is no more than a tiny hamlet with two manors, a few houses and farms and a ferry jetty. Creeksea on the south shore of the Crouch is a small part of Wallasea Island with a pub - The Ferry Inn, a few houses, a nearby timber wharf and a caravan and camping site. The timber wharf is an international port for importing timber and steel from around Europe including Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia. The ferry between the two Creeksea settlements has not run for many years. Nearby to the east is a settlement previously called Ringwood but now called Wallasea Island Marina or Essex Yacht Marina. It has a large boatyard, many boat-building and repair sheds, a slipway and a marina and until the 1990s also a hotel, now demolished. This is where the ferry now runs from over to Burnham on Crouch town jetty.
It is probable that the name "Crouch" is derived from "Creek" or "Crick".
In ancient times, the name for the River Crouch was The "Huolne" River and in later times it was known as The Burnham River. The point on the mouth of The River Crouch on the north bank is called Holliwell Point and not far away is Holliwell Farm. South of Holiwell Farm is the landing stage called Holver Stage for the 19th century ferry to Foulness Island. Near The Dome, the salt marshes are called Brandy Hole. These names may hark back to "Huolne", the ancient name of The Crouch.

The River Roach was originally called The "Walfleet". The Walfleet emerges or joins with the larger River Crouch at Wallasea. A few centuries ago, its name gradually altered by common usage based on the name of the town through which it flowed - Rochford, previously called Rocheforte, where the river was forded and thus the Roach ford provided a new name for the river.

ANCIENT HISTORY OF ESSEX

Essex was a kingdom in the days before the Romans came to Britain. It was called Trinovantes and its centre of power was the large established city of Camulodunum, now called Colchester. It was said to be the only city in Britain and it was the place that Emperor Julius Caesar came to in 55 BC, to meet the king of the only established centre of power and civilisation in Britain. Nearly one hundred years later in 43 AD, Emperor Claudius also came to Colchester to meet the king of the Trinovantes and to exercise his rule over what he considered to be their client king of Trinovantes and in turn to rule Britain. Camulodunum was later called Colonia Camulodunum. Hence the name of the River Colne and Colchester from Colonia Castrum.

After the Romans left in about 420 AD, the Saxons came to this part of Britain and occupied and ruled this region as a new kingdom. The various Saxon groups established seven Saxon kingdoms in England which survived over several hundred years from about 500 AD until about 1000 AD. Those 7 Saxon Kingdoms were called the Heptarchia. They were :  Essex, East Anglia, Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria.

Essex comprised of present day Essex, all of London, Middlesex, most of Hertfordshire and parts of present day Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The rest of Cambridgeshire was either in East Anglia, under the sea, or in Mercia. For a while Kent belonged to The Kingdom of The East Saxons.

The Kingdom of Essex is known to have been in existence from 527 AD to 825 AD when Mercia took over the Kingdom of The East Saxons. During that 300 years period, there were at least 18 Kings of Essex, from King Aescwine, the earliest known king in 527 AD until King Sigered in 825 AD. Two of those 18 Essex Kings became saints. They were Saint Sigeberht and Saint Sebbi.

Essex has largely the same boundaries as it had in pre-Roman times, when it was the Kingdom of the Trinovantes. It was the most civilised kingdom in the British Isles with the only city in Britain established and thriving more than 2000 years ago. Famous rulers included an Arturo (Arthur) whom the Romans dealt with, King Coel (Old King Cole) and Cunobelin (Cymbeline). There is a strong claim based on historic, geographic and place names for the Camelot of King Arthur to be Camulodunum, now called Colchester. The probable reasons are :  There was a Trinovantian ruler called Arturo. Trinovantes was the most civilised and established region and Camulodunum was said to be the only city in Britain. The Romans came to Camulodunum to visit the ruler and to negotiate with and ultimately dominate Trinovantes and in turn colonised all of Britain. The name Camelot is very close to the abbreviated form of the Roman and pre-Roman name Camulod, or its grammatical form Camulodunum. There is no other place in Britain called Camelot or similar, nor any place name derived from it, other than Colchester's previous name. Historians have no true idea where Camelot is in its often assumed location in the West Country.

AVIATION IN ASHINGDON PARISH

Early Aviation - Pre First World War
Ashingdon Parish was the site of considerable early aviation development in the early 1900s. There were several designers of land based aeroplanes and sea-planes producing their early aircraft at hangars in South Fambridge and either taking off from the airfield or floating them out to carry out test runs and take-offs and landings in the very wide, straight and calm waters of the tidal River Crouch on the Northern boundaries of Ashingdon Parish. The aerodrome was already open and in service with a wide range of hangars and buildings when it was the subject of lengthy and detailed aviation magazine articles in "Flight" magazine on February 20th, 1909 and in "Aerocraft" magazine in March 1909. The aerodrome was then called The Fambridge Flight Grounds".

The early aviation pioneers at South Fambridge included Noel Pemberton Billing who formed the "Aero Colony" and "The Colony of British Aerocraft" at Fambridge Aerodrome.

Other early aviation pioneers at Fambridge were :  Frederick Handley Page;  Eardley Billing;  Eric C. Gordon England;  Dr Alexander Keith;  Gerald Leake;  W.O. Manning;  C.E. Whittaker;  Richard Lascelles - the aero engine and aeroplane parts supplier;  Gustavus Green - the aero engine manufacturer:  Mr Beney;  Albert Pink;  and many others.

Early aviation developments at Fambridge were :  Pemberton Billing developed two early aircraft designs there;  The José Weiss No. 1 Monoplane called "Madge";  The Robert Macfie (or McFie) Monoplane;  The Howard T. Wright biplane;  The Seton-Karr Biplane;  Handley Page worked on early designs and cooperated with Jose Weiss and incorporated some of the Weiss designs;  The Talbot and Quick Waterplane was develpoed there in 1914.

It is believed that South Fambridge was the first aerodrome to be established in the United Kingdom in late 1908 or early 1909. It was founded by Noel Pemberton Billing. Besides pursuing the development of civilian aviation for commercial and recreational purposes, he was forming or promoting a British aeroplane manufacturing industry and a military aviation service. The original purpose of Fambridge Aerodrome was the formation of The Colony of British Aerocraft or The Aero Colony as the nucleus to bring about the formation of a future "Imperial Flying Squadron", a forerunner to the British military aviation.

Not long after Fambridge was announced in the press in February 1909, another aerodrome was established at Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey. Soon after, an aerodrome was opened at Dagenham, now under the Ford car factory.

The Royal Navy were the first to start military aviation by forming The Royal Navy Air Service. Some time later, The Army formed their own aviation service, called The Royal Flying Corps. By 1918, they merged and both became The Royal Air Force. From those early days, Noel pemberton Billing was the first promoter of a military air service which we now call The Royal Air Force, something which he lobbied for tirelessly while developing aircraft and later, while he was a Member of Parliament from 1916. Noel Pemberton Billing was born in London, but spent most of his adult life in Burnham on Crouch, Essex - across the River Crouch from us. Noel Pemberton Billing started his own Pemberton Billing aircraft manufacturing company, then renamed it "Supermarine". That company later designed and produced the "Spitfire" fighter.

Expanding Aviation - Between the World Wars
A few years later, much work and flying was done with many types of early aircraft at another nearby aerodrome, the first Rochford Aerodrome - in Ashingdon, which was located in the very large square field at the Western corner of Hyde Wood Lane and bounded by Canewdon Road.

The most famous aircraft flown from there were the Avro 504K, DeHavilland DH60 Moth, DeHavilland DH80A Puss Moth, Simmonds Spartan, Avro Type 638 Club Cadet and the tiny MH14 "Flying Flea". Ashingdon Aerodrome was called "Canute Air Park" - being on the Battle of Ashingdon battlefield where King Canute won his victory. The Aero 8 Club at Ashingdon became the foremost centre for Flying Fleas. The engineers leading the pioneer work were Mervyn Chadwick and Raymond Gordon. They did modifications to make the Flying Flea safer and better and they developed a higher powered version with a 28hp engine.

Another new aircraft development with connections to Ashingdon was the BAC "Drone" high winged monoplane.

Gordon and Chadwick went on to design and develop a radically new and modern single seater monoplane at Ashingdon. It was simple and remarkably cheap to run. It was called the Premier Gordon "Dove" using the same 28hp engine as the later "Fleas".

One Flying Flea got into difficulties on take-off from Ashingdon Aerodrome and it crashed into the trees around Ashingdon churchyard. Being small and light, it remained stuck aloft within the trees and the pilot got out of his aircraft and climbed down the trees.

By 1933, some flying had moved to another field in Ashingdon along Ashingdon Road. Southend Flying Club moved their fleet including DH60 Moth, DH80A Puss Moth and Avro Type 638 Club Cadet and acquired a new Blackburn L.1 Bluebird III, which they operated on hourly services to Rochester in pool with Short Brothers. Later Shorts operated that service from Rochester, Kent to Ashingdon (for traffic to Southend on Sea) using the larger Short Scion II, a 6 seater passenger plane. They flew over 1100 trips to Ashingdon using the Scion, an aircraft which looks like the beautiful DH Dragon Rapide.

Not long afterwards, flying started at Rochford Race Course which was alongside Dalys Road, Rochford. Later still, flying moved a little further to what became the new Rochford Aerodrome, now called Southend Airport. But very soon, the Second World War looked imminent and The Royal Air Force came back to "RAF Rochford", then known as Southend Municipal Airport.

That makes a total of 5 commercial airports within a distance of 4 miles, not counting flying that took place at Foulness, Leigh on Sea and Shoebury.

Other Aviation Nearby
An aviation pioneer who had been experimenting with flight since 1875 at Southminster, across the River Crouch from Ashingdon was Horatio Phillips. He initially built gliders, but in the early 1900s experimented with his Phillips "Multiplane" powered multi-wing designs. He developed 2 early powered aircraft, one of which, "Multiplane No. 2" was observed by J.J. Cant of Tillingham to take off and fly at about 3 feet for about 30 yards at St Lawrence Hill in September 1903 - 3 months before the Wright Brother's first flight. Phillips again flew for over 500 yards in his "Multiplane No. 5" powered aircraft at Southminster in 1907 - before the Wright Brothers had been heard of in Europe. They only came to Europe in late 1908 and revealed then that they had flown earlier - on 17 Dec. 1903.

Another area also prominent in early aviation and linked to Ashingdon's pioneers is not far away on the other side of the River Crouch at Flambirds near Cold Norton and Stow Maries. This fame and activity by pioneer pilots was featured in a television series called "Flambards". It is based on a series of books by North Fambridge based author - Kathleen Herald Peyton, who has written over 50 books under the name "K M Peyton". Later, nearby there was the site of a sizeable and important Royal Flying Corps aerodrome and base at Flambirds Farm near Stow Maries, where the original barracks and aerodrome buildings can still be seen. The site is used now for model aircraft flying as well as farming.

There was also early flying from fields in North Fambridge across the River Crouch. Some of the aircraft delivered to South Fambridge and Ashingdon came by train either on the line past Hockley and Rochford, or along the line across the River Crouch through North Fambridge.

USAAF AIRCRAFT CRASH

A United States Army Air Force wartime Martin Marauder B26 aircraft crashed in Ashingdon in the fields to the north of Canewdon Road during the Second World War on 24th September 1944. The aircraft was flying from Amy Aerodrome near Roye in France in very bad weather to their home base at Matching Green, Essex. The crew of 5 men died in the crash and a monument was erected in the field near the crash-site. The weather had been atrocious and their previous day's mission to Düren in Germany had to be cancelled due to bad weather so they landed in France. Probably, they should not have set off that day. The very high winds, poor visibility and torrential rain meant that they made slower progress and lost bearings and as a result ran out of fuel, as did the other two crashed aircraft. The heavy rain meant the fields must have been covered in rain water. That is why it is believed that the airmen thought they were landing onto water because all five airmen had removed their boots before the crash, as per normal instructions for landing on water.
A lady in our village heard and saw the aircraft approaching very low and the engines were very loud. It flew low beside the hill where St Andrew's Church was higher than the aircraft. As it crossed Canewdon Road, it hit the tops of a row of very tall elm trees. That wrecked the aircraft and set it on fire and it crashed into the field where they thought to land and killed all 5 men on board.

The five USAAF airmen who died in our village on 24th September 1944 were :
Second Lieutenant  Jack T. Hanlon,  from Ohio,  0672084,  Pilot,   572nd Squadron
First Lieutenant  Jay M. Sink Jr,  from S. Carolina,  0733236,  Navigator,   573rd Squadron
Staff Sergeant  William L. McCarty,  from Iowa,  37196353,  Flight Engineer,   572nd Squadron
Corporal  Gerald F. Smith,  from Missouri,  37245841,  Radio Operator / Gunner,   572nd Squadron
Sergeant  Frank Bothel, 13048052,  Armorer / Gunner,   572nd Squadron

The aircraft was a  Martin B26 Marauder medium bomber,  42-96102,  T6-X,  "Lilly Commando",  573rd Squadron.
"Lilly Commando" was the normal aircraft for First Lt. William Youse and his crew.

"Lilly Commando" was not their normal "ship".  Lt. Hanlon and Sgt. McCarty normally flew on "Rationed Passion".  Lt. Sink and Sgt. Bothel normally flew on Lt Dickinson's aircraft 42-95834,  P2-B,  "Ill Wind".  Cpl. Smith normally flew on Lt. William Knight's aircraft.

SSgt. William L. McCarty is buried in The Cambridge American Cemetery, near Cambridge, England.
Lt. Hanlon, Lt. Sink and Cpl. Smith were repatriated for the USA for burial there.
Lt. Hanlon is buried in The Maple Grove Cemetery, Cleves, Ohio, near Cincinnatti.
Cpl. Smith is buried in The Lawson Cemetery, Lawson, Missouri, near Kansas.
Five more of their comrades who died on the same day in the other 2 aircraft that crashed en route to Matching Green, Essex are also buried in Cambridge.

Most of the other airmen killed in the other 2 aircraft who were not buried at Cambridge were repatriated to the USA for burial at the request of their families.
We do not know where Sergeant Bothel is buried.
It was normal practice for officers to be repatriated.

The existing plaque at the crash site is an attractive but rather weather worn aluminium panel with the 9th Air Force and 391st Bomb Group insignias. It also has a side view drawing of a B26 and it lists the names of five USAAF airmen. Only one of those five names is correct - SSgt. McCarty. The other four airmen were killed on the same day in two other aircraft.
Lt. Baehr normally flew "The Three Bears" but he and SSgt. Demyanovich and Lt. Yawitz were killed in "Baby Doll III" at Blackmore, Essex.
SSgt. Crider normally flew with Lt. Noland and both were killed in "Miss Laid" at Hatfield Heath, Essex.

WARTIME MEMORIES

Parishioners tell us that their parents and elders mentioned many notable events during the First and Second World Wars. These included :  The passing of German military Zeppelin airships over our villages during the First World War.

During the Second World War, several landmines fell by parachute on fields and into the River Crouch.

A Royal Air Force Spitfire crashed into the sea wall this side of the Brandyhole saltings near Beckney Farm. The pilot parachuted to a safe landing, but his wrecked aircraft was left embedded in the sea wall because it was considered unwise to risk weakening the sea wall by digging it out. So, the aircraft is believed to be still there in the earthworks.

A German V1 pilotless flying bomb "doodlebug" also crashed into the sea wall this side of the Brandy Hole saltings near Beckney Farm. The V1 had either run out of fuel, or it had been shot down, or nudged down by an RAF fighter. The wrecked V1 must have skimmed the ground before colliding with the sea wall. Fortunately it did not explode. It was also left embedded in the sea wall because it was an unexploded bomb and it was unwise to risk explosion or weakening the sea wall by digging it out. So, the aircraft is believed to be still there in the earthworks, quite near the Spitfire wreckage.

Another German V1 fying bomb crashed onto Ashingdon in a field near Moons Farm off Canewdon Road. It exploded and left a large crater in the ground.

A great deal of enemy bombing tool place at Canewdon, probably intended to destroy the 8 Marconi radar defence towers at RAF Canewdon, the radar station.

A military camp was located along Scaldhurst Farm Lane at Camp Farm.

There were anti-aircraft, observation and search-light units at points around the village, including Round Hill, the highest point above Trinity Wood Road and Footpath 16. An enormous search-light unit was still left near South Fambridge Hall, rusting away until about 20 years ago.

WARTIME PILLBOXES

There are 5 wartime defensive pillboxes in our Parish, 2 on the South Fambridge sea wall, 1 behind Highcliff Crescent, 1 beside the field next to our playing field, 1 at the end of Canewdon View Road.
They were built to defend our nation against an enemy invasion. They are all Type 22 or FW3/22 hexagonal reinforced concrete bunkers.
In May 1940, the directorate of Fortifications and Works (FW3) was set up at the War Office under the direction of Major-General G.B.O. Taylor. Its purpose was to provide a number of basic pillbox designs which could be constructed by soldiers and local labour.
In the following June and July 1941, FW3 issued 6 basic designs for immediate construction for rifle and light machine gun use, designated Type 22 to Type 27.
They are made of reinforced concrete and formed using shuttering of wooden planks, plywood or corrugated iron.
The Type 22 pillbox that we have has a regular hexagon shape in plan view. It has an embrasure or firing slit opening in five of the sides and an entrance in the sixth side. The embrasures or slits are suitable for rifles or light machine guns. Each wall is about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, 10.5 feet (3.25 m) across flats and it was generally built to the bullet-proof standard of 12 inches (30 cm) wall thickness. Inside, there is a Y shaped anti-ricochet wall (the top of the Y nearest the entrance), the internal wall also helped support the roof.

THE SECRET ARMY

There were two underground secret bunkers in our Parish and a few more nearby for use by The Auxiliers, a secret army of highly trained special forces troops, recruited locally and ready for anti-invasion and anti-occupation warfare. They looked like Home Guard or Regular Army troops, but they were part of GHQ Auxiliary Units in MI5, the secret Security Service. They were controlled by MI5 and reported to them. They were also called Churchill's Secret Army. Their local commander was Captain Cecil Ford, the headmaster of Ashingdon Schools.

FAMBRIDGE AERODROME CENTENARY

A granite memorial stone was erected in South Fambridge in February 2009 to mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of "The Fambridge Flight Grounds" as the first aerodrome in England was called. Noel Pemberton Billing the early English aviator opened Fambridge to establish the base for the "Colony of British Aerocraft". Noel Pemberton Billings founded the company, later renamed Supermarine, which designed and built the Spitfire fighter. During the ceremony to unveil the Fambridge Aerodrome memorial, a Spitfire was flown over South Fambridge by a woman pilot who made many low level flypasts and aerobatic manoeuvres over the village.