How Fire, Flight, & Fate Struck Southampton Water in August 1931
In 1931, Britain was in the grip of the Great Depression. The Wall Street Crash two years earlier had triggered a chain of events that…
The Graf Zeppelin Over Southampton in 1931 (The Death of Ethel Irene Moore)
On Tuesday the 18th of August 1931, a low humming sound over Southampton brought people out of their homes. As they looked to the skies, an…
The USAAF 370th Fighter Group at RAF Andover
The USAAF 370th Fighter Group was established in mid-1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts, and comprised of the 401st, 402nd, and 485th fighter squadrons. The pilots were equipped…
Segregation & Sacrifice: Htin Yain Lao & Black American Troops in the New Forest
With it being the 80th anniversary of D-Day this year, it’s more important than ever to look back at the sacrifices made. I think it’s…
Curtiss JN-3 (A5496) Crash at RFC East Boldre, March 1917
I was recently emailed these photos of brass pulley rings by the New Forest Heritage Centre, asking if I could shed any light on them….
RAF Fawley: The Airfield That Never Was
I’ve been researching the history of the New Forest’s wartime airfields for several years, and occasionally this work turns up something unexpected. One of the…
Devil’s Fingers Fungus and a Wartime Connection to the New Forest
Did you know that there’s a possible wartime connection to these photos shown below? Above you can see in a clockwise direction from the right….
Bournemouth Beach in WW2: August 1944
In July 1944, Bournemouth beach opened to the public again after being off-limits for most of the Second World War. People flooded back onto the…
Author Interview: World War 2, New Forest Discovered
This interview was conducted by Ian Bayley of Sabrestorm Publishing. The new book from John Leete can be purchased from online retailers and bookshops. I…