# A Funny Thing Happened......



## Njaco (Apr 28, 2008)

from:
NE Diary 1939-45; Incidents 22nd February 1940 to 13th June 1940
British Military Aviation in 1940 - Part 1

A Heinkel He 111P was forced to land, with smoke streaming from its port engine, at East Coldingham near St Abbs Head, Berwickshire at 12.30 hours. The enemy aircraft landed in a field in a very remote spot, and as Squadron Leader Douglas Farquhar of No.602 Squadron (whose kill it was) wanted the authorities to examine the Heinkel, he decided to land his Spitfire beside it, to prevent the Germans from destroying their plane, he landed his plane alongside at high speed, the bombers crew looked on in disbelief as it trundled on down the hill and cartwheeled into a bog. They first hauled out their injured rear gunner and set fire to their plane, then ran down the hill to rescue the gallant Squadron Leader, who was suspended upside down by his safety harness, the bomber's crew all took part in this rescue.

By then, the Heinkel was well alight so they all rushed up the hill (Sq Ldr Farquhar included) to pull the German rear gunner further from the flames. The comedy of errors was not quite over, the LDV arrived on the scene over the crest of a nearby hill and because they hadn't seen the Spitfire at the bottom of the hill, assumed that the Squadron Leader was part of the Heinkel's crew, so they arrested him too. It was only when he produced an OHMS envelope bearing his latest income tax demand that they transferred him to the side of the 'goodies'. One of the Heinkel's crew, Fw Sprigarth, was mentioned in Parliament for his part in the rescue.

Squadron Leader Farquhar also took the first British gun-camera film of the war, while attacking and destroying the Heinkel He111 over Coldingham in Berwickshire on that day.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## timshatz (Apr 28, 2008)

Great story!


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## ccheese (Apr 28, 2008)

Could have been worse..... glad it was a happy-ever-after kinda thing.

Charles


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## Heinz (Apr 28, 2008)

Great post Njaco!


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## Thorlifter (Apr 1, 2012)

good story!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Apr 3, 2012)

Definitely one of those "Oh Sh**" moments for the Spitfire pilot.


Wheels


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## airminded88 (Feb 20, 2018)

Couldn't stop chuckling at this one.
It's amazing how light hearted moments can find their way even into the most brutal moments of combat.
A fight between fine gentlemen for sure.

Cheers


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## MIflyer (Feb 20, 2018)

At Debden, I think it was, the US airmen that took over the base from the RAF noted the following in the logs:

0120: Wellington lands
0135: The Wellington proved to be an He-111. The German crew was lost and when they realized they were not in France one of the gunners held a machine gun on the RAF personnel while they cranked up and took off.
0150: Discussion in orderly room concerning firearms.

I suspect that the discussion concerning firearms amounted to, "Why the hell is it that no one on this whole station carries a gun?"


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