17th September 1941: News of a German Plane Shot Down near Clacton

Heard today that the glare which I saw last night was a German plane shot down near St. Osyth. I believe this is true.

Another alarm tonight at the same time. I wonder if the Germans are training bomber pilots for the winter?

Fine sunny day, though cold.

Does anyone have any information on this wartime incident at St Osyth? I haven't been able to track down any records so far so perhaps the story was false? Thanks CP

Update 24 September 2011:

Thanks to readers of E.J. Rudsdale's blog, it is now possible to corroborate EJR's account of the German plane which was shot down in the Clacton area on 16th September 1941. Mike Dennis (see his comments below) kindly drew my attention to the German Aircrew Remembrance Society website which has an entry for a German plane shot down near Clacton on Sea on 16th September 1941 and includes the pilot's name, Erwin Veil. Roger Kennell of the Clacton Victoria County History Group then contacted me to say that his father recorded the following entry in his diary on Thursday 18th September 1941: 'Last Tues we shot down a German bomber near Jaywick'. This would have been the night of 16th September 1941 and, therefore, also confirms EJR's account of this plane being shot down in the Clacton area.

Many thanks to Mike and Roger for your help with my enquiries about these events.

The Clacton VCH Group's book: Clacton at War, which Roger Kennell helped to compile, is a fascinating history of Clacton, a coastal town on the frontline in the Second World War. CP