14th July 2022 • The HERALD • Page 19 v F @heraldpublishing v Waterside based Locksmith with over 40 years’ experience within the window and door industry. YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT TRUSTED LOCKSMITH CORGI REGISTERED, NCFE AND CITY & GUILDS QUALIFIED WITH OVER 180 GENUINE LOCAL REVIEWS • NO CALLOUT FEE OR VAT CHARGED • FREE ON-SITE QUOTE/ADVICE • FREE 12 MONTH WARRANTY • HIGH SPEC PARTS FITTED, 1ST CLASS SERVICE & THE LOWEST PRICES TO MATCH! Book us through Checkatrade and get a free £1,000 guarantee If you need a lock think KeyLock Locksmiths • Lost keys • Locked out - Non-destructive entry • Moving home - New locks & keys required • Door lock adjustments with repair and replacements for all multipoint locking systems • Door realignments/servicing • Hinge repair/adjustments CALL 023 8089 9989 OR 07771 994536 24HRS TO SPEAK TO A LOCAL FULLY QUALIFIED LOCKSMITH Waterside Carpet Cleaning PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANING! Using Prochem Equipment and Materials • SPOT/STAIN TREATMENT • Fully Insured 023 8066 0878 07747 037756 or 07770 337917 www.watersidecarpetcleaning.com JIM GRASSICK Double Glazing Repairs • Locks • Handles • Hinges • Glass Over 40 years experience Tel: 07712 718343 Email: jamesgrassickSO45@gmail.com Put Your Repairs in Safe Hands ANXIETY? PANIC ATTACKS? STAY CALM, IN CONTROL AND RELAXED Break Free from a Fear or Habit. Regain Confidence and Happiness Fast and Effective Solution, Lasting Results CALL 07786 376980 E: alan@alanjoneshypnotherapy.com SP DECORATING Painting & Decorating Specialist Simon Perks Tel: 07889 091420 Email: simonperks@rocketmail.com • Interior & Exteriors • Wallpaper Hanging • Prompt & Reliable Service • Free Quotations & Expert Advice • Fully Insured Approved by Trading Standards Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH In the spring of 1944, the New Forest air elds were packed with RAF and USAAF ghter bombers in preparation for D-Day. e coastal locations of local air elds meant the aircra were within short reach of the French beaches. As well as the large air elds with concrete runways such as Beaulieu, Holmsley South, and Stoney Cross, there were temporary air elds which made use of farmers’ elds. One was RAF Needs Oar Point, located south of Buckler’s Hard. For just three months in 1944, it became the home for 120 Hawker Typhoon ghter bombers. Airmen and support crew lived in tents hidden under trees or were billeted in local cottages and farm buildings. It had two runways constructed in a simple steel mesh design that sat on the grass, just strong enough to let the Typhoons take o and land without sinking into the mud. Each time one of those Typhoons took o and headed over the Isle of Wight to France, the pilot would never know if he was to return. One of those brave airmen was Flight Sergeant Patrick Alexander Taylor, a ectionately known to his squadron as ‘Dumbo’ Taylor. In June of 1944, Taylor was aged just 20. is was the average age of a RAF pilot during the Second World War. Of those killed in action, the average age was 22. ree weeks a er June’s D-Day invasion, Taylor’s squadron was ying missions over France to support the Allied advance. On the 27th of June, Dumbo Taylor taxied his Typhoon into position on the steel mesh runway. Pointing down the eld with the Isle of Wight in view, he started his take o procedure, then hurtled down the runway, becoming quickly airborne. Seconds a er take-o he was ying over the Beaulieu River when it’s believed the aircra ’s engine cut out. His Typhoon banked le and started to descend over Exbury, rapidly heading towards Black eld. Farm workers in a eld below reportedly witnessed the Typhoon approaching Black eld at speed. One account says Taylor took evasive action and deliberately changed course to miss the workers and nearby houses. ‘Dumbo’ Taylor Running out of eld to land in, Taylor’s Typhoon hit an oak tree and crashed into the garden of a bungalow in Mopley where the aircra burst into ames. It’s not certain, but it’s likely Taylor was killed instantly. When the ames were extinguished and his body recovered, it was still strapped into his seat. e owner of the bungalow was saved. e crash had set re to the roof of the property, with the Typhoon stopping right up against the walls, propellor gouging into the brickwork. e gouges were later lled with concrete when the bungalow was repaired. e Mopley bungalow, which was located near The Heroic Wartime Actions of Dumbo Taylor Who Crashed Near Blackfield by Marc Highway, local history enthusiast Black eld andLangley, has since been demolished. Patrick Alexander Taylor (aka ‘Dumbo’) is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey. He was one of many young men who lost their lives whilst ying from the New Forest during the Second World War. If you have stories of the Waterside area during the war, I’d be interested in hearing from you. You can contact me onmheighway@ hotmail.com
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