I didn't know this story. Be bad enough to be killed in action against an enemy, but to die in a mid air collision with a friendly aircraft is doubly tragic .. R I P
My grandad Reg Davis played in the same Charlton youth team as Donald. The documents from the article shows my grandad Reg scoring a Hat trick in the first game vs Trojans and 1 against Millwall juniors. A great find!!
Inside-forward (serving in Navy
in 1941). Educated at Our Lady of Grace School, Charlton.
He was an ever-present in the
Charlton Athletic Junior team in 1939/40, playing in 12 league games and two
friendlies. He hit a hat-trick for Charlton Athletic juniors against
Trojans (of Sidcup) in a friendly at The Valley on 6.4.40 - also scoring against
Millwall Juniors at The Den on 13.4.40. His best achievement was scoring five
goals against Crystal Palace on 29.05.40 when Jimmy Seed described his
performance as, “very useful indeed”. He scored a total of 9 league goals.
He played in all the matches in
1940/1 for which line-ups are available, scoring two league goals
I am an historian and author in Cornwall in the process of writing a wartime history of RAF Portreath and am currently detailing the mid air collision between a Spitfire and the Blenheim in which Don Homer was flying on 16th April 1943. I have just come across your article on Don and his budding football career prior to his military service.
I am writing with two things in mind. Firstly, I would like to ask the family for permission to reproduce a photo of Don, the letter from his commanding officer and the photo of the parcel wrapping that contained his possessions sent to his mother within the book which will be published as an eBook hopefully within the next month. I am wondering if you can pass my request on or point me in the right direction to make an approach.
Secondly, I can inform you and the family that the casualty on the ground was not killed. He was a teenage boy called Ken Ninnis who was cycling up the road from Bridge towards Sparnon Gate when he heard a bang as the two aircraft collided. Wreckage of the Blenheim fell in the field of Lower Laity Farm close by and Ken was severely burnt from the fuel from the aircraft. He was taken to hospital and in time underwent plastic surgery. He later married, had two daughters and became a Methodist preacher. Sadly he is no longer with us and his wife Dorothy died last December. A friend of his has told me he was a lovely man and always had a smile on his face.
Inside-forward (serving in Navy
in 1941). Educated at Our Lady of Grace School, Charlton.
He was an ever-present in the
Charlton Athletic Junior team in 1939/40, playing in 12 league games and two
friendlies. He hit a hat-trick for Charlton Athletic juniors against
Trojans (of Sidcup) in a friendly at The Valley on 6.4.40 - also scoring against
Millwall Juniors at The Den on 13.4.40. His best achievement was scoring five
goals against Crystal Palace on 29.05.40 when Jimmy Seed described his
performance as, “very useful indeed”. He scored a total of 9 league goals.
He played in all the matches in
1940/1 for which line-ups are available, scoring two league goals
And here, second from the left, is a photo of Reg Davis (my uncle, as it happens) with his Dad, a WW1 veteran, and four of his bothers who were all in the armed services during WW2. My Dad Ron (also of @Davo53)is on the extreme right.
Fantastic to see that this project is still in the pipeline …..well done to all concerned. Very much looking forward to seeing the results of your endeavours. 👍
Comments
Bring your boots postcard from Jimmy Seed to Don.
Any able to help contact @DA9
Reginald DAVIS
Inside-forward (serving in Navy in 1941). Educated at Our Lady of Grace School, Charlton.
He was an ever-present in the Charlton Athletic Junior team in 1939/40, playing in 12 league games and two friendlies. He hit a hat-trick for Charlton Athletic juniors against Trojans (of Sidcup) in a friendly at The Valley on 6.4.40 - also scoring against Millwall Juniors at The Den on 13.4.40. His best achievement was scoring five goals against Crystal Palace on 29.05.40 when Jimmy Seed described his performance as, “very useful indeed”. He scored a total of 9 league goals.
He played in all the matches in 1940/1 for which line-ups are available, scoring two league goals
Ebook covering the whole story of RAF Portreath at war including Don Homer.
Don't know if you've got this @Amos on the wing?
I'll message you.
Next time I’m over I’ll pay my respects and give a wee tidy up ♥️
Very much looking forward to seeing the results of your endeavours. 👍