THAMESIDE AVIATION MUSEUMTHE EXCAVATION OF ABATTLE OF BRITAIN HURRICANE |
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Wednesday 18th September 1940, 13.25hrsFlt. Lt. Dennis. Geach. Parnall. age 25 yearsHawker Hurricane 1 V6685249 Squadron. North Weald, Essex |
The events leading to the dig of 1974 We had only just carried out the excavation of Hurricane P3518 a few of weeks earlier, (our first dig) and only a mile from the crash site of Dennis Parnall's aircraft in the village of Margaretting. Robin Hill had been interested in this aircraft for a number of years and had quite a bit of the research done into the events leading up to the crash details of which will be gone into later. We had visited the crash site with two local farm hands who had been working the fields close by that day. After a slight argument between them as to which side of a long gone hedgerow it had crashed we located the site while they carried on with the argument. Digging down by hand we had not got much further than 18" (460mm) before hitting solid aircraft so the task of booking the digger and the weather went ahead with gusto. The digger was hired from "Rolly Ellis" who's machine had excavated P3518 a few weeks earlier, for the sum of £30.00. All was set |
The Dig We have carried out two excavations on V6685 in 1974 and 1987.
Finds include the undercarriage legs, main spare, rudder pedals, instruments and fabric so much of this aircraft was still down deep underground and of course the Rolls Royce Merlin engine complete with the makers plate. On the 1974 dig we found the control column but no spade grip, so we went back to the site in 1987 and re dug the site with the spade grip being found by one of our diggers, John Boultwood. Now the control column is complete again and on display in the museum, with the engine and other finds from the dig. |
THE PILOT
70522. Flt. Lt. Dennis. Geach. Parnall Son of George Geach and Edith Rose Parnall of St. Gennys, Cornwall. Buried in St. Gennys Church yard, Cornwall. Parnall was granted a commission in the Reserve of Air Force Officers on 18/12/36. He relinquished this commission on being appointed to a commission in the R.A.F.V.R on 1/1/38. He then relinquished his commission in the R.A.F.V.R. on being appointed to a permanent commission in the Genral Duties ( PILOT) branch R.A.F as a Pilot Officer on 3/9/38. Parnall was promoted to Flying Officer on 3/3/39. and to Flt. Lt. 3/9/40. He was authorised to wear the flying badge with effect from 10/12/38 From the date of his appointment to a permanent commission his postings were as follows; No.2 FTS on3/9/38, HQ Reserve Command as personal assistant to the AoC ( Sir Christopher Courtney ) on 15/4/39, No.5 OTU for operational training on 4/5/40. No 249 squadron , for flying duties on28/5/40. KILLED IN ACTION 18th SEPTEMBER 1940
During 1990 Denis Parnall's nephew Mark Parnall, visited the museum to see the remains of his uncles aircraft. Mark donated to the museum Denis Parnall's Airman's book and also a plaque which was in the Parnall aircraft factory offices Mark has a very close resemblance to Denis Parnall, here Mark is seen talking to Colin Wingrave on the roof of the fort.
Dennis scored the Squadrons first victory on 8/7/40 During the Battle of Britain, Parnall claimed the following aircraft destroyed in air action. 8/7/40, Ju 88 [ half kill ] 15/8/40, Me 110 [ Kill ] 2/9/40, Me 110 [ Kill ] 7/9/40, He 111 [ half ] 11/9/40, He 111 [ half ] The 2/9/40 kill was Bf110C. werk No 3226 crashed in Billericay, Chick Lowing who was present at the 1974 dig of V6685 was a boy at the time and went to the crash site of the 110 not long after it had crashed. An Oxygen Bottle from the 110 is also on display in the museum. ABOVE; Picture of Parnalls kill 2/9/40,Chick Lowing is sitting on the fence at the back of the field. |
THE AIRCRAFT
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İTAM 1999/2004