NHER 13674 (Monument record) - World War Two aeroplane crash site

The Norfolk Heritage Explorer is a filtered version of the Norfolk HER intended for casual research. Please to consult the full record.

See also further .

Summary

The remains of a crashed Blenheim IV no.Z7304 of 18 Squadron landed here. On 18 July 1942 the plane collided with the Stoke Radar Pylon which sadly killed all the crew, one of whom was Kenneth Thomas Tagg, a Met Forecaster based at RAF Wattisham. Recently received witness testimony now suggests that a significant portion of the wreckage actually probably fell approximately 250m to the west.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TG20SE
Civil Parish PORINGLAND, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

World War II crash site. Blenheim IV no.Z7304 of 18 Squadron collided with Stoke Radar Pylon, main section fell here.
Information Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.

Kenneth Thomas Tagg was a Met Forecaster at RAF Wattisham. On 18 Jul 1942 he was a passenger in an 18 Sqn Blenheim (s/n Z7304) from Wattisham on an Air Experience flight. The aircraft unfortunately crashed near Poringland and all on board (Tagg and three RAF aircrew) were killed according to (S1).
J. Allen (NLA) 11 January 2006.

November 2010. Geophysical Survey.
It is possible that magnetic disturbance encountered during a magnetometry survey to the south-east of the crash site could be debris scattered and later buried from the impact of this aircraft.
See report (S2) and NHER 55314 for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 13 April 2011.

April 2023.
Recently received witness testimony suggests that this was probably not the main crash site. A local resident who was 8.5 years old in 1942 reports that at the time of the crash they were playing with a friend "…at Trolley Row, in the end cottage" (almost certainly a reference to a row of houses at TG 2602 0263 once known as Trolla Row). On hearing a loud bang they ran outside "…down the road the towards the existing road to the Radar Pylons some 300 yards [275m] towards Stoke Holy Cross where [they] were met by plane debris and human remains scattered along the entrance to the radar station crossing Stoke Road". The plane wreckage is described as being "…in Frank Spruce's field south side of the radar pylons...". Although obviously the recollections of a child, this account is nevertheless clearly inconsistent with the current placement of the crash site, which puts it in the land immediately behind Trolla Row. It would appear that at the very least a significant portion of the wreckage actually fell approximately 250m to the west.
See correspondence (S3) for further details, including extracts of two articles (presumably from local publications) relating to the crash and the memorial that was erected at the site of the radar station in 1992.
P. Watkins (HES), 17 April 2023.

  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • <S1> *Verbal Communication: Davies, P.. 2005. Verbal communication from P. Davies ragarding World War Two aircraft crash site..
  • <S2> Unpublished Contractor Report: Webb, A. and Harrison, D. 2010. Land South of Stoke Road, Poringland, Norfolk. Geophysical Survey. Archaeological Services WYAS. 2146.
  • <S3> Correspondence: Correspondence sent to Richard Smith (South Norfolk District Council Planning Department) regarding crash of Blenheim Z7304 on 18 July 1942.

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Nov 4 2025 3:47PM

Comments and Feedback

Your feedback is welcome; if you can provide any new information about this record, please contact the Norfolk Historic Environment Record.