The Isle of Wight
Location and Incidents

NEWLY PUBLISHED MAP

Now featured in a jonzflicks movie : See link below map

Many summer visitors to the Isle of Wight have expressed surprise on learning that
so much action took place in what seems a sleepy hide-away. In fact, being situated
at the mouth of Southampton water and opposite Portsmouth harbour, the island was in the fore-front of
hostilities. Besides the crash sites shown, many German and
Allied aeroplanes fell into water in close proximity to Isle of Wight beaches.

We have now published a "Wartime on the Island" map.
This is hand mounted like our range of prints to fit a 20" x 16" frame.
The price is the same as our 20" x 16" prints,
Below: As it looks when framed

The map indicates where the aircraft fell, major attacks and the six V1 flying bombs
The six oval insets have been selected from our Echoes of the Home Front series.

See jonzflicks movie which includes this subject

On the island, there were various strategic targets, including radar, aircraft and shipbuilding and
military garrisons with their respective defensive installations: searchlights, light, medium and heavy anti-aircraft batteries.
There were several secret last-ditch Auxiliary Units with hidden dug-outs, ready for possible invasion.

Travel to and from the island was by special permit only, as was fishing.

Official Records list the following statistics:-

1,594 air-raid alerts - 125 direct attacks on the island.

1,592 high explosive and oil bombs - 10 parachute mines.

371 UXBs - Thousands of incendiary bombs.

6 V1 flying bombs fell on the island

During the night of May 4th/5th 1942, two prolonged air-raids on the twin towns of
Cowes and East Cowes killed 79 (28 from Cowes and 51 from East Cowes)
JHW, the author then 3 years old, survived at East Cowes.

For those interested in further reading we recommend two books:-

ISLE OF WIGHT AT WAR 1939 - 1945 by Adrian Searle published by
The Dovecote Press Stanbridge, Wimbourne, Dorset - ISBN 0 946159 58 0

BATTLE IN THE SKIES OVER THE ISLE OF WIGHT by
HJT Leal published by The Isle of Wight County Press, Newport, IW