Captain CrispDec 7, 20205 minSqn Ldr Edwin Rowland Moon Southampton’s aviation pioneer and war heroA real Southampton ‘local’, Edwin Rowland Moon was born 8th June 1886 in Cranbury Avenue, Southampton. His father, also Edwin, was a fina...
Captain CrispNov 20, 20204 minThe Balloon Goes Up!Many people living on Hampshire’s coast will still remember the proliferation of barrage balloons that flew both on the coast itself, and...
Captain CrispNov 13, 20203 minSouthampton's Mystery Nazi BomberDuring the late summer of 1940, Cunliffe-Owen at Eastleigh [Southampton] Airport were busily repairing Hurricanes and Spitfires which had...
Captain CrispNov 10, 20205 minHampshire's Space RocketsThe ‘flights of fantasy’ stories of Jules Verne, H G Wells and other early science fiction writers fired the imaginations of many a young...
Captain CrispAug 10, 202010 minSouthampton's Fighter Plane HeroEric James Brindley ‘Nic’ Nicholson holds the distinction of not only being the only Fighter Command VC of the Second World War, but the ...
Captain CrispJun 25, 20205 minSecret Files – Hampshire’s ‘Luftwaffe’Picture the scene – a sunny early September day in 1942. Young Rachel and Eddie Jones are playing in their garden near Romsey. They hear ...
Captain CrispMay 21, 20203 minBRITISH POWER BOATS AND RAF HYTHEThe Solent area, whilst famous for the aviation history of the various companies along the coast and on the Isle of Wight, will always be...
Captain CrispMay 11, 20208 minSecret Files – The Cunliffe-Owen StoryMost of Southampton and Eastleigh’s residents will have been familiar for many years with the imposing size of the Ford motor plant – ind...
Captain CrispApr 28, 20206 minSecret Files: Cierva AutogyrosMany readers have seen the 1967 James Bond film ‘You Only Live Twice’, starring Sean Connery as Bond, and one of Bond’s most famous ‘lead...
Captain CrispApr 13, 20207 minSecret Files :The Spitfire floatplanesThe German invasion of Norway in April 1940, and the now seemingly unstoppable advance of her armies across Europe began, it seemed likel...
Captain CrispApr 7, 20205 minSecret Files: Supermarine's 'Destroyer'20th April 1942 – a huge military parade on a bright, clear spring morning is being held along Unter der Linden in central Berlin to cele...
Captain CrispMar 30, 202011 minSolent Rocket FightersAfter brief combat action between the Allies and the Messerschmitt 163 Komet rocket fighter during the latter part of the Second World Wa...
Captain CrispMar 26, 20207 minThe Spitfire and the Battle of BritainBy the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAF had 187 Spitfires in service with ten Squadrons, although in comparison, the similar Haw...
Captain CrispMar 25, 20207 minOur Experimental Jet Flying Boat - the Saunders Roe SRA/10530 15 September 1950 – HMS Unicorn, off Inchon, Korea. Lt Cdr Al Jones, CO of 848 FAA Squadron, signals for engine starts on his squadr...