Battle of Britain Print

"Unexpected Harvest"
The Fighting Cocks Pub : 1940

painting by John Howard Worsley.

At the beginning of World War Two, thirteen year old Donald "Goat" Guy lived at Arreton on the Isle of Wight.
On the 16th Aug 1940, he was helping farmers near Bathingborne with their harvest. This particular day, he was on top of a
straw rick next to a threshing machine and as he stood up to stretch his back, some sixth sense made him
turn and look towards Ventnor. He'd heard nothing above the general clatter of the equipment but what he saw was
a small fighter plane approaching.

"As it got closer, I could see it was obviously in trouble. Its propeller was just flopping round!"

When it was almost upon them, Donald recognised it as a German Messerschmitt 109 and shouted to his companions.
There was so much noise going on that no one heard. They were all intent on their work. Frantically the boy pointed to
the aircraft but by the time anyone witnessed his excitement and squinted into the sunlight, the enemy plane had swooped past.

 

As this was happening, a lone soldier was driving a truck through the narrow country lanes nearby. He caught a glimpse of
an aicraft in trouble. It was obviously about to crash and, being unaware whether it was one of ours or
a hun, he stopped, grabbed the vehicle's fire extinguisher and ran off across the fields to assist.

The 109, piloted by Feldwebel Christian Hansen, had made a perfect belly landing between the stooks of corn. The airman was
just getting out as Donald, with Robin Marshal and Peter H... arrived, just ahead of the unknown soldier.

FW Hansen just stood there, the boys slowed and gaped and the soldier who'd been well trained in what to do if
confronted by the enemy, shouted "Handi Hock!" as he raised and pointed the fire extinguisher.
Hansen, heeding fully the severity of the threat, smiled and obliged.

(continued in information sheet with prints)

Available as hand mounted prints 10" x 8" , 14" x 11" , 20" x 16".