THAMESIDE AVIATION MUSEUM

September 15th 1940, Dornier Do17z-2 werk No 3294

Coded; 5K+DM of 4/KG3

Gladstone Road, Laindon Hills, Billericay, Essex.

September 15th 1940, the day that Buckingham Palace had two bombs fall in its grounds, this was the turning point in the battle of Britain when it seemed to become clear that the invasion of Great Briton was not going to happen.

2.33 in the afternoon in the plotlands area of Laindon Hills near Billericay, the battles in the sky above had gone on all morning and through lunch time, at 2.33pm a dornier Do17z of 4/KG3 was shot down by Hurricane fighters of the R.A.F.

The Crew

Lt. Duemler, ..Uffz. Maskules, ..and ..Fw. Vogel,

were all killed. .........

Uffz. Friebel captured unhurt.

The Dornier had been excavated by 2243 Squadron ATC, in the early 1970s with a complete Bramo 323 engine being found at a shallow depth, this engine was on loan to display at The Essex Aviation Group museum at Duxford untill late 1999 when this museum folded, the engine we have been told is now in private hands which is a shame.

The Thameside Aviation Museum re-excavated the crash site on 14th September 1985, it is now called the "Marks Hill Nature Reserve" and when we excavated we had to leave the site as a large pond area complete with a small island.

The dig was for us not very good, we found nothing apart from corroded aluminium of which non could be used for displays, its a shame that the engine from this aircraft has now fell into private hands as this item should be on public display .