Battle of Graveney Marsh
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Graveney Marsh, which occurred on the night of 27 September 1940 in Kent
, England
, was the last action involving a foreign invading force to take place on mainland British soil
. The fighting took place between the crew of a downed German
Junkers Ju 88
bomber and a detachment of soldiers from the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles
in Seasalter
.
On 27 September, British Supermarine Spitfire
and Hawker Hurricane
fighter planes from No. 66
and No. 92 Squadron RAF
attacked what they recognized as a new variant of Junkers 88 over Faversham
. An order had been issued to them to capture one such aircraft intact if possible. The German bomber's first engine had already been damaged by anti-aircraft fire during a raid on London and the Spitfires were able to destroy its second engine, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing on Graveney Marsh.
When the London Irish Rifles arrived at the scene from their billet at the Sportsman Inn in nearby Seasalter, the four German crewmembers had unexpectedly armed themselves with machine guns from the aircraft and a submachine gun. After a heavy exchange of gunfire, during which one German airman was shot in the foot, the Germans surrendered to their opponents and were taken prisoner.
Captain
John Cantopher succeeded in disarming a demolition charge which enabled the bomber, which was equipped with a new and very accurate type of bombsight, to be captured for examination by British experts. The aircraft was taken to Farnborough Airfield
where it was said to have "provided highly valuable information". Cantopher was subsequently awarded the George Medal
for his action.
In September 2010, the London Irish Rifles Regimental Association marked its 70th anniversary by unveiling a commemorative plaque at the Sportsman pub.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was the last action involving a foreign invading force to take place on mainland British soil
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The fighting took place between the crew of a downed German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
bomber and a detachment of soldiers from the 1st Battalion London Irish Rifles
London Irish Rifles
The London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
in Seasalter
Seasalter
Seasalter is a village in the Canterbury District of Kent, England. It is located by the sea on the north coast of Kent, between the towns of Whitstable and Faversham, facing the Isle of Sheppey across the estuary of the River Swale...
.
On 27 September, British Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
fighter planes from No. 66
No. 66 Squadron RAF
No. 66 Squadron was a Royal Flying Corps and eventually Royal Air Force aircraft squadron.-In World War I:It was first formed at Filton on 30 June 1916 as a Training Squadron equipped with BE2c,d & e, BE12 and Avroe 504A machines. The squadron received its first Sopwith Pup on 3 February 1917,...
and No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
attacked what they recognized as a new variant of Junkers 88 over Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
. An order had been issued to them to capture one such aircraft intact if possible. The German bomber's first engine had already been damaged by anti-aircraft fire during a raid on London and the Spitfires were able to destroy its second engine, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing on Graveney Marsh.
When the London Irish Rifles arrived at the scene from their billet at the Sportsman Inn in nearby Seasalter, the four German crewmembers had unexpectedly armed themselves with machine guns from the aircraft and a submachine gun. After a heavy exchange of gunfire, during which one German airman was shot in the foot, the Germans surrendered to their opponents and were taken prisoner.
Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
John Cantopher succeeded in disarming a demolition charge which enabled the bomber, which was equipped with a new and very accurate type of bombsight, to be captured for examination by British experts. The aircraft was taken to Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
where it was said to have "provided highly valuable information". Cantopher was subsequently awarded the George Medal
George Medal
The George Medal is the second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.The GM was instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI. At this time, during the height of The Blitz, there was a strong desire to reward the many acts of civilian courage...
for his action.
In September 2010, the London Irish Rifles Regimental Association marked its 70th anniversary by unveiling a commemorative plaque at the Sportsman pub.