Page 22 • The HERALD • 22nd June 2023 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v PJ-T DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIRS • Misted Units • Locks • Handles • Hinges • Door Adjustments/Repair • Cat Flaps Paul Jackson-Turner 07708 620910 pjtrepairs65@yahoo.com uPVC & Aluminium Free Quotes Fully Insured ALL ASPECTS OF ELECTRICAL WORK UNDERTAKEN • Full Rewires • New Circuits • Consumer Unit Replacements • Electric Vehicle Charging Points • Landlord Certification • Smart Homes • Central Heating Controls 023 8089 0932 or 07534 343631 www.alnelectrical.co.uk info@alnelectrical.co.uk • Professional Painter & Decoator • Internal & External Decorating • Tiling • Carpentry • Fully insured Professional • Honest • Reliable m.littlehales@sky.com NEW FOREST PLUMBING AND MAINTENANCE 24/7 LTD *YOUR LOCAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT PLUMBER* We provide a wide range of plumbing services, with an established reputation for quality, service and customer satisfaction. www.newforestplumbing247.com Contact us on 07912 092557 or 023 8194 0237 newforestplumbing@yahoo.com Such were his exploits that he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1944. Sadly, it was the demand for his skill and ability that sealed his fate. In 1945 he was asked to become a test pilot for de Havilland. e company only invited the very best to be test pilots. ings were looking good for William, as he was engaged to be married, and on the 8th of May, Victory in Europe was declared, with celebratory street parties occurring all over the country. But just three weeks later his family would receive news that would change their lives forever. On the 30th of May, his ancée was working for the Women’s Land Army at a sawmill in Denny Wood. I assume this in uenced his decision to y over the area whilst testing a Typhoon. A newspaper reported what happened next. “While she and the other girls were watching, thrilled by his skill at the controls, they were suddenly horrified to see parts of the plane fall off, and the machine went into a spiral dive and crashed into a plantation.” I don’t believeWilliamtook any risks that day or crashed due to an error he made. He was too experienced a pilot to do that. A crash report concluded how he was conducting a trial ight to test a new propeller. As he ew over the New Forest an undercarriage door fell o and hit the Typhoon’s tail, causing a catastrophic dive. One can only imagine the horror of the scene as it played out in front of his ancée and her colleagues, and the impact it would also have on them. William was buried in Beaulieu Cemetery, far from his home and family who lived in the Midlands. But he’s never been forgotten. A er he was buried in 1945, local lady Kathleen Brand (née Phillips) tended to his grave. A er Kathleen passed away, her daughter Margaret Kitcher, continued to do so. Whilst neither woman is related to William Eagle, they felt a sense of duty and loyalty to him. If you ever pass Beaulieu Cemetery and have a few minutes, please go in and say hello to him, or pay your respects however you can. He’s plot number 39. William Eagle, DFC, was a true hero. of war, sometimes having faults that only became apparent once in service. ey were o en own by inexperienced crew who may not have had the depth of training required. One such accident involved a man named William Eagle. On the 30th of May 1945, he crashed to the east of Brockenhurst and was instantly killed. But William Eagle wasn’t a novice pilot. In fact, he was the complete opposite. He can only be described as a ying ace and was responsible for downing seven enemy aircra during the war. He was said to have single-handedly routed four of those enemies in one operation alone. Press reports from the time also described an event where he chased German Messerschmitts around the Ei el Tower. The Story of William Eagle: A True Hero by Marc Heighway, mheighway@hotmail.com Marc hosts monthly local history talks, visit nfhwa. org/events for details. During the Second World War there were over one hundred aircra accidents and crashes in the New Forest. ese ranged from minor bumps and scrapes on air elds to crashing due to mechanical failure and pilot error. Some aircra were also shot down during dog ghts. e reasons for so many incidents can be attributed to several factors including the sheer volume of air tra c and high concentration of air elds. e New Forest was also under a busy ight path to Europe. en consider how most of these aircra had been quickly designed and manufactured due to the pressures William Eagle, DFC William Eagle’s grave in Beaulieu Cemetery
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