ZENA F. NEAL from Mrs. Bobby Bloyce

My mother worked at The Seaplane Works as a supervisor. She left to get married in the early 1940’s and was given a wonderful oil painting by E.J. Barker and a wonderful white tea/dinner service. It was a particularly happy period for my mother and she spoke of it often

In 1938 when he was about 7 years old John Bull was on the M & D [Maidstone and District] bus to Maidstone, passing Rochester Aerodrome.

He looked across and saw a strange 4 engined aircraft taking off, which he later learned was a prototype STIRLING heavy bomber (They entered service in 1940 – the first of the heavies, to be followed by the Manchester to become the mainstay – Lancaster, and the Handley Page Halifax).

Later in the day on the return journey the aircraft was upside down on the grass field. The undercarriage had collapsed.