In the morning of the 6th of September 1942 two Messerschmitt Me210 aircraft were flying a reconnaissance mission over the Tees area. At this stage in the War the Me210 was a relatively new aircraft, this mission was possibly the first over the English mainland in the type after a ban on flying over the UK had just been lifted. Whilst still out to sea two Typhoons of No. 1 Squadron based at Acklington had been patrolling an area to the north of the River Tees, they were sent to intercept the two enemy raiders. In one Typhoon was P/O T G Bridges, in the other was P/O Perrin. The fighters spotted the two Me210's near off Redcar, the enemy aircraft turned landwards and crossed the coast near Redcar. By now the Typhoons were closing in on their targets. the Me210's dropped what bombs they were carrying near Lackenby before splitting up, one Typhoon following each. The fate of one Me210 is also detailed on this website, it was to crash near New Marske (details of which can be found here). Of the aircraft P/O Bridges followed headed towards Whitby, Bridges fired a number of short bursts at the Me210, peices of the engine were seen to fly off it before it caught fire. The aircraft were by now in the Robin Hood Bay area and it would have been clear to the two German airmen that they would now not be able to outrun their attacker. The two bailed out. Shortly afterwards just before mid-day the Me210 was seen to crash in a small field near Sunnyside Farm, Fylingthorpe and disintergrate. The two airmen survived their landing, one, the wireless operator landed in a cow field near Middlewood Farm, Fylingthorpe. The pilot drifted out to sea and was picked up by the motor-cobble, The Florence and taken back to Scarborough. He was reported to have been slightly injured but was detained in the Police cells at Scarborough before being transferred elsewhere. Both airmen became PoW's.
Pilot - Oberlt Walter Maurer, Staffelkaptan of 16/KG6, ok.
Wireless Operator - Fw Rudolf Jansen, ok.
Upon questioning, the crew revealed little. The pilot was very experienced, he had served on the Russian front before going to Richlin where he flew an assortment of types of aircraft, both German and an captured Allied Spitfire, Hurricane and Wellington.
The aircraft is thought to have crashed in this field. Thanks to Mr Ben Wedgewood for this photograph. I have yet to seek permission to enter the field.