Lieutenant Anthony Tracy’s Seafire Crash & Death off Calshot in 1947
On 12 December 1947, Lieutenant Anthony Peter Hanbury Tracy of the Royal Navy, was killed when the Seafire he was piloting, crashed into the Solent…
How RAF Calshot Welcomed Tristan da Cunha Evacuees in 1962
The British Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. Its closest inhabited neighbour is the island of…
The Crash of Wellington T2564 and a Tragic Connection to Brockenhurst
On the 18th of October 1942, a terrible accident happened near South Ruislip train station in Uxbridge, Middlesex, resulting in the deaths of 21 people, with…
Mosquito (NS882) Crash in Lymington & the Death of Donald MacNicol
On the 10th of October 1944, a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB Mk VI crashed in a field off Lower Pennington Lane, near Lymington. Flight Sergeant…
RAF Calshot’s Chapel (St George’s Church)
If you’ve ever been to Calshot, you can be forgiven if you missed this rather plain looking building at the roadside as you approach the…
The 1947 Spitfire Crash in Bournemouth and the Death of John Henry Green
In the immediate post-war period, thousands of people around the country were entertained by Battle of Britain Air Displays. The shows raised money for the…
The Bride Who Never Was: The Wartime Tale of a Girl and Her Wedding Dress
As a historical researcher, I spend a lot of time trawling through newspaper archives. I find them an invaluable resource, as they feature stories of…
RAF Sopley: History from 1941 to 1945 During WW2
I was recently given a document that was researched and written by Pat (Patricia) Sparks in 1990. Pat was a WAAF serving at RAF Sopley…
Spitfire Production in Southampton in 1939
The iconic Supermarine Spitfire has deep roots in Southampton, where it was not just designed, but also built by the Supermarine company. Southampton’s role in…