Following on from our readers’ successful work in tracing what happened to Ted Honey’s Vickers Virginia bomber way back in March 1931, Herald cartoonist Trevor Andrews has set the aviation enthusiasts among our readership another little challenge.

“I have been interested reading about the Virginia crash at Old Park in Peeps from the Past and it reminded me of another aircraft crash in Farnham. It was soon after the Second World War, 1946/47 I think. A Spitfire crashed in Marston Road.

“There was a double-lot space between the first houses on the east side of the road and the pilot had managed to put the Spitfire down into that space, collecting a few tiles off the roof on the opposite side of the road.

“I just did a Google Streetview look at Marston Road and if you look really carefully you can see the left- hand corner tiles of 11 Marston Road don’t quite match the rest of the roof.

“I was told that a Mr Edwards from the house next to the crash had run out (bare footed?) to go to the aid of the pilot.

“My family home was in Wayneflete Lane just a few hundred yards ahead of the Spitfire which was heading to the east.”

So there’s a new challenge for Mick Bradford, Nick Hughes and other readers who’d like to join in the hunt. Can you find out more about that Spitfire?

Soon after the war it seems aircraft coming to earth around the district were quite common, judging by some of the reports in the Herald of that era.

There was much testing of the new jets, both from the RAE at Farnborough and RAF Odiham as well as airfields further afield. The relatively new helicopters entering service with piston engines were also prone to mechanical problems, dropping into fields and gardens locally with varying degrees of control.

However, there were also many surplus military machines being refurbished for sale to foreign air arms to raise funds for the country.

These, too, sometimes called in unexpectedly, like this Sea Fury fighter bound for the Dutch Navy. It was up on a test flight before delivery from Langley near Slough in October 1951 when it force-landed with engine failure in Mr EJ Longman’s fields at Kings Farm, Binsted, destroying an acre of kale, turnips, swedes and sprouts.

In the photograph the Royal Navy are seen removing the plane which, I believe, was repaired and finally made it to Holland for service.

I wonder if Trevor’s Spitfire has a similar story to tell? Over to the Peeps’ experts to hopefully find out more.