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The website gets some questions (emailed) tthat are answered by other readers.
See below for notes and queries on (click on query to go straight there)...
Writing re the German Heinkel bomber crash on September 15th 1940. Ernie Pollard writes .... I can't add much to the Heinkel story, but it is mentioned in the Home Guard journal of Collingwood Ingram, local Commader of the Home Guard at the time. He writes 'On Friday last I received a letter from Folkestone written by a stranger who happened to be staying at Trafford Farm when the Heinkel bomber crashed there on Sept. 15th. In this letter he says "I feel it is incumbent upon me to bring it to your notice, as the Officer in Command of the Home Guard at Benenden, the calm & masterly way John Masters handled the situation. There is not much wrong with the Old Country so long as she can produce this type of man!" I congratulate Masters on having created such a favourable impression & am very glad that he was able to uphold the reputation of our Company. I understand Masters was ably supported by W. Doar.' You will see he mentions different people, perhaps because they were members of the Home Guard while your husband's ancestor and others at the scene. may not have been? The crash is recorded in a book called "Aircraft Casualties in Kent", Meresborough press 1990, as follows Benenden, Trafford Farm, Shot down by the RAF. Fw Mayer and Gfr Hoffmann killed, Lt Baench, Uffz Bauer and Buttler POWs. Based Lille-Vendeville (?) Again the details differ slightly from yours, saying that there were three survivors, but that is not unusual. I visited Benenden yesterday and took a photo of the Queen's Well. I cannot find any information regarding the well and wonder if you know the history regarding it? Ernie Pollard writes .... You will find some information on the Queen's Well in "Benenden Trail" Julia Collard writes .... Two wells in Benenden are mentioned in "Benenden, A Pictorial History" compiled by Michael Davies and the following information is quoted in it. My husband as boy, just after the war used to go to Benenden hopping with his mother and grandparents. He remembers hop picking on a farm owned by John Bridgeland. My husband remembers that Mr Bridgeland was a very nice kindly man, and he has very happy memories of hop picking days. We cannot seem to find any evidence that the farm still exists, my husband also remembers the local pub he thinks it was called the Castleton Oak, is this still around. AM writes .... The Castleton Oak is certainly near Benenden, but not in the village itself. It is at the crossraods of Cranbrook, Tenterden and Benenden. Ernie Pollard writes .... This would be Beston Farm on Halden Lane, farmed by the Bridgeland family for many years although I think always part of the Hole Park estate. Castleton Oak not far away. Edward Barham writes .... Just to add my pennyworth to this, the farmers name was Bridgland (no "e") and they farmed at beston from approximately 1865 until 1976, always as tenants of the Hole Park Estate. Following the death of John Bridgland in 1975 (?) his 2 sisters surrendered the farm tenancy and remained at Beston until old age forced the last survivor to move to a home in about 1997. the house was then renovated and still remains part of the estate. Mrs Neve, of Coggers, prepared a brief history of the family which I think was published on the net which your hop picker may find interesting to locate. Tom Ainsby writes .... I remember Bridglands farm.I used to buy apples from them as a boy, bright red from the tree outside the farmhouse.
I was wondering if perhaps you may be able to shed some light on the New Pond. I have always wished to have a local place to fish, however there are lots of private water and "NAC" signs around the pond.
Rod Lebon writes (collaborated by Peter Blockley and Steve Hockney)... Presuming that the New Pond referred to, is the dammed lake at the bottom of the hill north of Benenden cross-roads, as far as I know it's still part of the Manor House land. I knew Caroline Richardson, the previous owner of the Manor House, whose family owned it going back about 50 years, since our childhood; she sold it c2005 so and I have no idea who the present owner is - heard it had been sold on a second time, but that may be rumour. In Caroline's time there was definitely an active angling club on the lake, which presumably leased the use of it from her, and I think kept it stocked. Patrick Conway writes ... The previous owner (Caroline Richardson) of the Manor House permitted Northiam Angling Club (NAC) to fish the lake one Sunday per month. As a child, my mother went hopping in Benenden before and during the WWII, and in fact her aunt (my great aunt) collapsed at the bins and died, and is buried in St George’s Church. I remember visiting Benenden myself as a child (over 40 years ago). We couldn’t find where she was buried over 70 years ago although we did find the memorial to the young boy killed by a train in 1925 which Mum remembered. Mum often speaks of playing with the Watson girls (their family owned a farm – possibly the hop farm they worked on), the old Mill and the Oak. She has very fond memories of her summers spent in Benenden, and I wonder whether anyone else who went hopping in the 30s and might remember the Westbrooks from Bermondsey. |
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