Netherfield

Netherfield is a small, remote village, however on the 4th October 1940 it was very exciting. That night a Hienkel HE 111 h-2 bomber crashed in the quiet village. The whole crew was killed on impact except one member who managed to parachute out before it hit the ground. His parachute got caught in a tree on the way down, but he was eventually found and rescued unhurt.

Then again, on the 27-28th May 1941 another bomber crashed in the sleepy village. This time it was a Wellington Bomber from the No 304 Squadron that crash-landed, crewed by ex Polish Air Force members. The plane had been tasked that night with bombing ships in Boulogne harbour but, just after releasing its bombs, one of the plane’s engines was hit and it caught fire. The rear gunner managed to bail out quite quickly, to this day nobody knows if he survived. The pilot managed to limp the plane back over the Sussex coast before the second engine failed. At that point he ordered his remaining crew to bail out, but only two managed to successfully escape before the Wellington hit on the western side of Netherfield.

The plane fractured on impact, mortally wounding the remaining crew who succumbed to their injuries shortly after. Sergeant Jozefiak, one of the two survivors, chose to remain in England and after the war he developed into a highly successful businessman. In 2000 he returned to Netherfield to visit the crash site and was generously given some land by its owner so he could build a memorial for his fallen crewmates. He returns every year to remember and honour them.

Netherfield also offers a small, local farm shoot for those with a relaxed outlook on the hobby and is home to one of Plumpton College’s Out Centres.