Talk:Battle of Graveney Marsh

Untitled
Sorry, but I didn't have time to write a full article. The sources quoted contain plenty of additional information. June 29, 2024
 * Good start. I'd like to see if we can get anymore details about the significance of the aircraft.  JRPG (talk) 10:36, 21 August 2010 (UTC)
 * I've nominated it for WP:DYK but was told the article needs to be about twice as long to make it to the front page. Let me see what I can add in terms of the aircraft. De728631 (talk) 11:09, 21 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Getting there. I'll see if I can find any sources in Farnborough.  It may well link up to one of the better known stories. I'm disappointed the aircraft photo appears to be copyright. JRPG (talk) 16:27, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

Last Battle?
Stuart Allan's book Commando Country mentions a German raid on a British radar station on the Isle of Wight, probably in 1941. The reference is a JRUSI report by Major-General Laycock so is a very reliable source. I asked around about this and was told there were believed to have been casualties. Perhaps this should be classed as the last battle on British soil with an enemy force? --jmb (talk) 17:13, 21 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Good point and the important thing is to get it right. Does British soil included the Channel Isles?  The 1940 raid was the last on mainland Britain soil but not as you rightly say "actually the last action involving a foreign enemy" as the Telegraph says. (whoops) JRPG (talk) 18:59, 21 August 2010 (UTC)


 * Channel Islands can be left out but the Isle of Wight though not technically "mainland" should perhaps be included. Someone suggested that there was another raid but never found anything about it and never managed to get my hands on the JRUSI report.  --jmb (talk) 18:15, 21 August 2010 (UTC)


 * Looks like the Telegraph and the Mail rather picked up on that 2009 exhibition which also claimed that it was the last battle on the British mainland. De728631 (talk) 19:58, 21 August 2010 (UTC)


 * You usually find they pick up a story from a local newspaper but once a story appears in a national newspaper then others will also run it if it is is interesting. --jmb (talk) 08:07, 24 August 2010 (UTC)


 * This sounds like a very tenuous definition of "Battle": ~50-200 men of a single company versus 4 with a handful of guns. At best this is a skirmish and can hardly be a condender for the crown of the last "battle". This sounds like silliness to me 188.221.118.127 (talk)

I have to concur with the last comment here. If this is considered a "battle" then we had a lot more of them much later involving the Irish Republican Army and British forces in Ulster between the 1960s and 1980s. Battle? Not even close. Skirmish? Very possibly. Silly headlines to claim some local bragging rights (and improve tourism)? Most definitely. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.22.14.10 (talk) 15:35, 4 October 2016 (UTC)

Sportsman pub
I took out 'which is still standing today' since it was the first mention of the pub. Why is it significant? Did it feature in the battle?91.104.205.140 (talk) 13:41, 29 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes, the pub was involved at the time - it was the soldiers' billet. I have amended the article to reflect this. Well spotted. June 29, 2024

Invading?
Is it correct to describe the aircrew as an 'invading' force? Their mission was to bomb Britain, not invade it, and they were forced down deliberately on British soil whereas they intended to return to Germany. Could we say 'a hostile foreign force'? PhilUK (talk) 18:16, 2 September 2010 (UTC)
 * The Battle of Britain in which the bomber took part was regarded the preparation to the invasion of GB. And in wartime a hostile aircraft is legally invading foreign airspace. De728631 (talk) 19:46, 2 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Was this the only time downed German aircrew fought to resist capture in the war?Cloptonson (talk) 20:14, 3 May 2015 (UTC)
 * I can't provide a citation but I've never heard of a downed German crew successfully attempting to evade capture in Britain with or without weapons. They normally -and reasonably surrendered because the coast was inaccessible to the public. German pilots often attempted to destroy secret equipment but it is likely damaged planes will be captured over enemy territory within a few weeks. Use of the Pathfinders minimized risk to British airborne radar. JRPG (talk) 16:43, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

New variant?
'what they recognized as a new variant of Junkers 88'... did the Spitfires and Hurricanes recognise this? Unlikely. Also, for this date, it is highly unlikely that this would have been a new variant... either it would be a known A-1 version, or a C variant, which is not a bomber. Citation requested.

Accurate bombsight?
'the bomber, which was equipped with a new and very accurate type of bombsight'... this would be a LotFe 7, which was standard fitted to German aircraft at this time. Although arguably accurate, it was not exactly new. Citation requested.

Alternative sources?
Are there any alternative sources for this other than local websites and tabloid newspapers? Official military records or independent peer-reviewed research would greatly enhance this article, which seems to exaggerate the significance of the event.