By: grahamm
- 30th January 2010 at 13:01Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Southend Airport Photographs
I have just published two of the Southend photographs under another thread on this forum entitled: Seaplane Activity at Southend-on-Sea.
Graham
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Posts: 4
By: garybondjr
- 14th September 2020 at 23:17Permalink
Hi Everyone,
I see this is a pretty old thread, but thought this might be of interest if anyone's still reading.
As a kid I lived on Chinchilla Road, two roads over from Lifstan Way. I think I was about 7 when I found an old pilot's leather helmet buried in the garden with the rubber ear pieces intact. I knew there were a few crashes in the area, including one that involved a British pilot getting a posthumous medal for skilfully avoiding Southend School High for Boys (which I later went to). I don't know if the helmet I found is British or German, may not even be from that era but certainly old, maybe even related to this Heinkel crash, but recently I got to thinking about it and wondered where it was. Mum still lives in the area and she did some digging and found it for me, nicely intact.
I'm living in Canada now over 20 years later and if this is something that might be of interest I'll ask mum to take a good picture of it and post it here. Maybe this kind of thing happened enough that it's not exciting at all, but I think it's pretty cool so thought I'd share it.
By: l.garey
- 16th September 2020 at 08:42Permalink
Thanks for your post Gary, and welcome to the forum. I am no expert on flying helmets, but there is likely to be someone on the forum who is. So please post a photo if you can organise it.
Laurence
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Posts: 4
By: garybondjr
- 2nd October 2020 at 18:30Permalink
Thanks Laurence, I'm working on it, I believe the helmet may in fact be on its way to me so I'll do that as soon as I get it.
I did also read a couple of years back that a large unexploded bomb was found where the steamroller used to sit which required a few streets to evacuate. No idea where the steamroller ended up though :)
New
Posts: 4
By: garybondjr
- 21st February 2023 at 00:45Permalink- Edited 21st February 2023 at 00:47
Hi again everyone,
I’d fully forgotten about this thread after covid ruined all those travel plans.
Happy to say the helmet has been located in my mum’s storage in Southend! I’ve attached a picture and if anyone can offer any details I’d be very grateful. This pic was hurriedly snapped and given to me before the helmet was sent to me in the post, hope it’s useful and interesting to someone. Will post again if needs be when it arrives.
By: Southern Air99
- 23rd February 2023 at 09:25Permalink
Looking at the helmet, I'm inclined to suggest it might be American as opposed to German! Any USAAF crashes in the area?
Attachments
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Posts: 4
By: garybondjr
- 2nd March 2023 at 21:14Permalink- Edited 2nd March 2023 at 21:19
Thanks for the info, certainly looks like it! The other thing I found in that garden as a kid was a toy space shuttle, so maybe a previous occupant just went to the states and bought some souvenirs.
But there were a few USAAF accidents in the area too which I’ll have a look at.
Posts: 20
By: grahamm - 30th January 2010 at 13:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Southend Airport Photographs
I have just published two of the Southend photographs under another thread on this forum entitled: Seaplane Activity at Southend-on-Sea.
Graham
Posts: 4
By: garybondjr - 14th September 2020 at 23:17 Permalink
Hi Everyone,
I see this is a pretty old thread, but thought this might be of interest if anyone's still reading.
As a kid I lived on Chinchilla Road, two roads over from Lifstan Way. I think I was about 7 when I found an old pilot's leather helmet buried in the garden with the rubber ear pieces intact. I knew there were a few crashes in the area, including one that involved a British pilot getting a posthumous medal for skilfully avoiding Southend School High for Boys (which I later went to). I don't know if the helmet I found is British or German, may not even be from that era but certainly old, maybe even related to this Heinkel crash, but recently I got to thinking about it and wondered where it was. Mum still lives in the area and she did some digging and found it for me, nicely intact.
I'm living in Canada now over 20 years later and if this is something that might be of interest I'll ask mum to take a good picture of it and post it here. Maybe this kind of thing happened enough that it's not exciting at all, but I think it's pretty cool so thought I'd share it.
Cheers all!
Gary Bond
Posts: 2,115
By: l.garey - 16th September 2020 at 08:42 Permalink
Thanks for your post Gary, and welcome to the forum. I am no expert on flying helmets, but there is likely to be someone on the forum who is. So please post a photo if you can organise it.
Laurence
Posts: 4
By: garybondjr - 2nd October 2020 at 18:30 Permalink
Thanks Laurence, I'm working on it, I believe the helmet may in fact be on its way to me so I'll do that as soon as I get it.
I did also read a couple of years back that a large unexploded bomb was found where the steamroller used to sit which required a few streets to evacuate. No idea where the steamroller ended up though :)
Posts: 4
By: garybondjr - 21st February 2023 at 00:45 Permalink - Edited 21st February 2023 at 00:47
Hi again everyone,
I’d fully forgotten about this thread after covid ruined all those travel plans.
Happy to say the helmet has been located in my mum’s storage in Southend! I’ve attached a picture and if anyone can offer any details I’d be very grateful. This pic was hurriedly snapped and given to me before the helmet was sent to me in the post, hope it’s useful and interesting to someone. Will post again if needs be when it arrives.
Cheers!
Gary
Posts: 544
By: Southern Air99 - 23rd February 2023 at 09:25 Permalink
Looking at the helmet, I'm inclined to suggest it might be American as opposed to German! Any USAAF crashes in the area?
Posts: 4
By: garybondjr - 2nd March 2023 at 21:14 Permalink - Edited 2nd March 2023 at 21:19
Thanks for the info, certainly looks like it! The other thing I found in that garden as a kid was a toy space shuttle, so maybe a previous occupant just went to the states and bought some souvenirs.
But there were a few USAAF accidents in the area too which I’ll have a look at.
Thanks for the insight!
Gary