© Philip Harvey; no reproduction without permission, please.
Account of Mr. Dave Lewis
I was ten years old at that time. On that day, we were in the school shelters. Now don't ask me how I knew, but somehow among the boys it got around about this plane coming down. I just followed the rest of the boys to Kimberley Road. Don't forget, it was unmade in those days. We could not get too close as it was roped off both sides. All I could see was a hole right in the centre of the road.
Account of Dr. Douglas Acres, CBE, MRCGP
At the time I was living in Avondale Road and went to Kimberley Road soon after the incident. The wreckage of the plane was a few yards from the bungalow in which my (then) fiancée, Joan Bloxham was living. I can recall that the electricity supply to the home had been severed. My brother, who was working at Bradfields Farm, arrived on the scene a little later and has recollections of children carrying away buckets full of unexploded ammunition.
Account of Mr. J. Maily
I was a volunteer fireman, aged 29, at that time, stationed at Benfleet. I recall that the aircraft came in at a fairly shallow angle, hit two bungalows and set their roofs on fire. The aircraft didn't go far into the ground and the ammunition was still going off as we arrived. We saw the pilot coming down on Pitsea marshes and came up to view his plane before going off.
Account of Mr. Rowe
I was 17 years old at the time. We went up on our bikes to Kimberley Road not long after it had come down. The plane was a Spitfire, although it was well smashed up and buried in the ground, partly on the road. My brother managed to get some pieces off the Spitfire but we can't seem to locate these now. The pilot, a young lad, came up to see his plane. I spoke to him and he told me it was the second time that day he had been shot down.