Sheffield V1 Flying Bomb(s)

[Aircrashes]

A V1 Flying Bomb, or 'Doodlebug' (the pilotless pulse-jet-propelled aircraft, not the V2 Rocket), one of fifty or so air-launched over the North Sea from Heinkel bombers on Christmas Eve 1944, and destined for the Midland industrial areas, fell 'in a field off Cow Lane' in Beighton. No casualties resulted, although blast damage was reported at both Halfway and Killamarsh. Cow Lane has now become the Rother Valley Way, and the whole area has been transformed by development, so that, for example, none of the (always informative) farms of the day still exist. In furtherence of research for the final book of my Peakland Air Crashes series (Landmark Publishers, Ashbourne), I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who can tell me whereabouts off the former Cow Lane this Flying Bomb fell; and for any anecdotes arising.

Further, in 1960, one of the gyroscope assemblies from a V1 was ploughed up in a field at Meadow Farm in Ringinglow. Nobody in the area remembers a V1 arriving there, nor do official records have one doing so. At present I am speculating that this is one which exploded in mid-air (possibly damaged by the coastal defences) and fragmented so that any parts not buried on impact were not recognised as pieces of a V1 by the police or ARP. Again, I'd be very grateful for any information that could hone my search.

Pat Cunningham

[George]

Cow lane years ago,you could walk up cow lane into school rd at beighton and before they built the estate where the pub is now,there was a field which backed onto school rd/cow lane and in the middle of it was sited a anti-aircraft gun,now i heard that in the war beighton was bombed a couple of times and poss one explosion was this flying bomb,and people say one explosion was near the railway lines up cow lane.

[cat631]

Hello. One bomb that fell in the Beighton area landed in what is now Rother Valley Park. It failed to explode and was unearthed during opencast mining operations in 1977.

Another bomb dropped in Woodhouse lane and I have a photo of the damage to the lane. The caption on the photo reads; This was the second bomb of WW2 to be dropped on Britain.

[Aircrashes]

Hello. One bomb that fell in the Beighton area landed in what is now Rother Valley Park. It failed to explode and was unearthed during opencast mining operations in 1977.

Another bomb dropped in Woodhouse lane and I have a photo of the damage to the lane. The caption on the photo reads; This was the second bomb of WW2 to be dropped on Britain.

Sorry, I lost track of how to find this thread again, and missed your response. I was, of course, asking specifically about V1 Flying Bombs, nevertheless many thanks for your interest.

[squashball]

Hi George, my family lived on New Street Holbrook, This Street was just up from Cow Lane. Field Farm was to the right of Cow Lane as you travelled towards Beighton, according to my family the V1 exploded between the farm and Cow Lane. Although now gone the farm stood where Woolleys abattoir now stands. If you need to find where it was exactly there are a selection of old maps kept at Killamarsh Library that show the location.

 

regards John

[hobinfoot]

My mum told me that she saw a V1 while she was visiting her grandma who lived in Fox Hill I don't know if this was one of the two mentiond on hear.

[Texas]

Was the area known as the sandfields?