Thursley has a fine history of supporting artists and this entry adds current and historic paintings of the village. We would welcome any new entries be they current or in the past. See also the entry for Thursley's Artists Through the Ages as it provides some more background on some of the artists featured. John Hassel (1767-1825) Three paintings by John Hassell From the Surrey History Centre: John Hassell (1767-1825) is remembered today as a watercolour painter, engraver and drawing master. He was born in 1767, perhaps in Wales, and first appeared as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy in 1789. He was a popular drawing-master and published several works on the techniques of drawing and painting in watercolour. He also published books of topographical views which owe much to the romantic interest in the picturesque. Several of these books, notably his ‘Views of Gentleman’s Seats Adjacent to London‘ (1804-1805), ‘Picturesque Rides and Walks within Thirty Miles of the British Metropolis‘ (1817-1818) and ‘Excursions of Pleasure‘ (1823) show Hassell’s deep interest in Surrey which was to take him to most parts of the county and result in at least 750 watercolour views of churches, houses and other buildings of architectural or historical interest which he found. They provide a superb glimpse of the county’s architecture over two centuries ago before the face of Surrey was transformed by the coming of the railway. Helen Mary Elizabeth Allingham (née Paterson) (1848- 1926) Helen Allingham (1848-1926) was an illustrator and watercolourist, whose career flourished in the late Victorian era. Best known for her rural artwork, the Surrey countryside, where she lived from 1881 to 1888, was a primary subject in her watercolours. Bowlhead Green, Surrey. Sold at auction in 2015 "Her Majesty's Post Office". This, at the time it was painted in 1887, was the only Post Office of which Bowler’s Green, near Haslemere, boasted, and from its appearance it might well have served during the reigns of several of Her Majesty’s predecessors. From Happy England by Helen Allingham, A & C Black, London James Edward Grace (1851 - 1908) James Edward Grace was a landscape painter born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1851. Little is known about his early life and by the time of the 1881 England Census he was living in Witley, Surrey. He was active exhibiting in London between 1871 and 1903 showing at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour as well as many commercial galleries. Thursley Common; pool in foreground, beyond two cows at left near trees, and in background surrounding countryside. Watercolour. British Museum 1957,1012.14 Sketch of Silver Birch tree and lake, Royal Common, Elstead. Watercolour. British Museum 1957,1012.15 Josiah T Wilson (1800s) Josiah T Wilson lived in London, Witley and Thursley and exhibited for 20 years at the Royal Academy. This is the only example of his work: 'Stream and Cottage, at Thursley, Surrey, 1863. Courtesy the Vicotria & Albert Museum. Edward Wilkins Waite RBA (1854-1924) He was a prolific English landscape painter, born in Leatherhead, Surrey, the son of the Rev. Edward Waite, MA, and captured scenes and vernacular architecture throughout the Surrey Weald and the Sussex and Berkshire Downs. The Old Parsonage and the Granary of Hill Farm Barns The Old Parsonage has attracted painters for decades past Arthur Robertson (1850 - 1911) He was a late Victorian British watercolour artist and topographical painter active in the 1880s and 1890s. He specialised in village and town scenes, domestic and architectural subjects and figures in contemporary dress and exhibited intermittently at the Royal Academy in London from 1883 to 1905. The Lodge, The Street, Thursley Arthur Robertson and family outside The Lodge. He is buried in Thursley Churchyard. The Old Parsonage Arthur Roberson also painted these commemorative windows in St Michael & All Angels Church in Thursley: Amy Paine and Beatrice Victoria Paine Hill (not sisters, and for more information see page 111 of "Tales from a Country Churchyard" by Guy Singer. Memorial windows to Albert E Fosberry (1877 - 1900) in the north transept of the church. Arthur and Aphra Robinson's Grave in Thursley Churchyard Alfred Robert Quinton (1853 - 1934) He was an English watercolour artist know for his paintings of British villages and landscapes many of which were published as postcards. Sadly, his postcard publisher, J Salmon Ltd was disolved in 2021. Postcard of painting of Keeper’s Cottage by A.R. Quinton. Henry Edward Spernon Tozer (1864 - 1965) He spent his early years in Newlyn, Cornwall with his parents. His father, Henry Edmund Tozer, also an artist, exhibited “Surf and Rocks at the Mouth of the Cove” at the RA in 1892. Henry Edward painted scenes of country life (many of them from his life in Thursley) in oil and watercolour. By 1891 he had moved to Thursley, although we don’t know why, and in 1894 he married Mary, sister of William Fosberry. He continued painting alongside running the Post Office with his wife and died aged 90 still at “The Clump” in 1955. Minding the Fire by Henry Edward Spernon Tozer who is buried in Thursley Churchyard. He was a man who loved fireplaces! This book, published by J Salmon Ltd, Sevenoaks, contains numerous illustrations by Tozer Tozer also published a series of postcards like this one of the Sailor's Stone on Gibbet Hill. Thursley History Society is grateful to Art UK for permission to reproduce this entry and illustration: Born on 5th December 1864, in Sheerness, Kent, ‘H. S. Tozer’ (as he generally signed) was elder son of London-born Henry Edwin Tozer (1838–1913) and his wife Louisa Jane (née Griffin, 1835–1904). Henry Edwin was son of a tinplate worker and though he also became an artist, his stated profession on marriage at St Martin’s in the Fields on 18th May 1861 was ‘Civil Engineer’; Louisa’s father was a hairdresser. After Henry Edward in 1864, their second child was Marianne Alice (1866–1958), and the third Eustace Arthur Tozer, also an artist, born in 1869 at Milton, near Gravesend. By April 1888 the family had moved to Newlyn, Cornwall, possibly drawn by the artistic colony there. In the 1891 census Henry Edwin, his wife, daughter, and son Eustace were all at 3 Cape Cornwall House, Boswedden, St Just, Penzance. https://artuk.org/discover/artists/tozer-henry-edward-spernon-18641955#:~:text=Born%20on%205th%20December%201864%2C,Louisa%20Jane%20(n%C3%A9e%20Griffin%2C%201835%E2%80%931904) Eveline de la Belinay Lance (1866-1937) She was born in Essex, but moved to “The Outlook” in Thursley in 1929. She painted scenesof Thursley, including a picture of the kitchen of Pit Farm (now Punch Bowl Farm), as well as pictures of the local children. Mrs Anne Jones, curator of Farnham Museum, researched the artist for the Society. Her work is included in 'The Dictionary of British Artists 1880 - 1940' and 'The Dictionary of Victorian Artists', interestingly both gave a London address. 'The Dictionary of British Artists' gives her as exhibiting between 1891 and 1907 at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; the New gallery; The RBA in London; The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours and the Society of Women Artists. 'The Dictionary of Victorian Artists' gives only that she exhibited watercolour landscapes at the RBA in Suffolk Street and the New Watercolour Society, later the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. There is no record in the museum's library that Eveline Lance lived in the area. Anne Jones's research was published in the History of Thursley Society's newsletter of May 1996 as a result of which two further examples of herwork were traced, copies of which were exhibited in 1997. Mrs Mary Kalinowski (née Fosberry) kindly allowed us to photograph these pictures, one of which is of Mary as a child with her mother. The other,of Thursley Common, is not in our achive. She was best known as a watercolour landscape painter, but also illustrated books. She has a comprehensive back catalogue and her work is very much still in demand. Mercy Fosberry and her daughter Mary by Eveline Lance c1930 Kitchen of Pitlands Farm (now Punch Bowl Farm) by Eveline Lance - see signature, bottom left Gee-up Dorothy Warner, Freddie West and Marjorie Warner. All children of Thursley village. Norman Ierson Parley (1883 - 1961) His son writes, "An artist and calligrapher of outstanding ability from childhood, he should have become an architect but, his father dying when he was 19, he entered the world of printing and publishing, where he excelled in the reproduction of manuscripts. His love of books and tramping the countryside in the British Isles and Europe, of chess and cricket, lasted to the end of his life. He also had a gentle sense of humour." A Conscientious Objector in both wars, he served in Holland, as did his mother, in the Quakers' work for refugees. After the Second World War, he designed his own house in Borehamwood, West London, only moving out in the late 1950s to join his daughter, my mother. He died a year after his wife, in 1960 in London. Russell Partridge Brockbank (1913–1979)* Russell Brockbank was a cartoonist, best known for his motoring, motor racing and aviation cartoons. He was born in the Municipal Hospital, Niagara Falls, Ontario on 15 April 1913 to Caroline (née Partridge) and Clarence Brockbank. The family moved to England in 1929. He studied at Chelsea Art School and his work was published in numerous magazines and journals, including Lilliput, Motor and Punch for whom he worked for over 30 years and was their Art Editor from 1949 to 1960. He lived in Badgers, in The Lane, and worked from the studio there, which he named The Haven. *see separate entry The Three Horse Shoes when the breathalyser was introduced. C W 'Bill' Cooper Bill Cooper was was a local resident and councillor best remembered for documenting the rich history of the area's local governance. This colour photocopy of Forge Cottage is one of 10 paintings by C W Cooper, including one of Hazel Cottage, that were donated by Barbara Lodder whose Great Grandfather was the blacksmith William Karn. Philip Traill Sunflowers leading to the Threshing Barn, painted in Thursley by Philip Traill, 2003 Philip's daughter, Helena Traill, is establishing a reputation as a plein air painter. She is now based in Bristol but is a frequent visitor to Thursley where her Mum lives: No. 248 Heather and Gorse, on Thursley Common, 2026 No. 46 After a walk everything changes, Moat Pond, 2025 Helena's painting can be found on her website, including those 'Inspired by Thursley': https://helenatraill.co.uk/shop/collection-inspired-by-thursley Sallie Roles Sallie has lived in the village for many years and is an enthusiastic painter of landscape and still life. These paintings are of Thursley Common.

When preparing for the Wedding Belles exhibition (see separate entry) in 2008, this list of the vicars of St Michael and All Angels was compiled to coincide with the dates covered by the exhibition. To this distinguished list must be added: 2010 John Jeremy Page 2020 Hannah Thérèse Moore Work in progress, so this is just the beginning of entries about our vicars: John Flutter Chandler (1815 - 1837) The Reverend John Flutter Chandler (1762–1837) was an English clergyman who served as the long-standing vicar of Witley in Surrey. He lived at Witley Manor and was the father of the noted hymn writer and clergyman John Chandler. John Chandler (1837 - 1852) John Chandler (16 June 1806 – 1 July 1876) was an English clergyman and translator of Latin hymns, and the compiler of The Hymns of the Primitive Church. He was born at Witley Manor near Godalming in Surrey, where his father (John Flutter Chandler, died 1837) was the vicar of Witley. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he obtained his BA in 1827 and MA in 1830. He became curate of Witley and succeeded his father as vicar in 1839, remaining there until his death. He married Caroline Mary Brownlow in 1841. William Francklin (1852 - 1857) Henry Brancker, 1857 - 1886 The Reverend Henry Brancker was born in Lancashire in 1817 and died, aged 90, in February 1908. He donated three bells to All Saints’ in 1892 and, in 1895, gave the pulpit as a thank offering for his Golden Wedding. When his wife died in 1916 she left a legacy to the church. The Rev. Brancker was one time Vicar of Thursley in Surrey, but lived in retirement at 92, Hill Road, Wimbledon. On his death he was interred in the churchyard of S. Michael’s & All Angels, Thursley. His wife Ellen is buried with him. Revd Henry Brancker and Mrs Brancker In 1868, the new vicar, Reverend Henry Brancker, commissioned the construction of a Teacher’s Residence, currently the office and caretaker’s flat, along with a slight extension of the classrooms. He used the services of a well-known local architect to design it, John Wornham Penfold who is now best remembered as the designer in 1866 of the original hexagonal post box, better known as “The Penfold”. For his work, he received £17.10 and the total cost of building the master’s residence came to £364.90. Throughout his life Penfold regularly returned to his native Haslemere. He surveyed the local area, rebuilt and expanded Haslemere parish church and surrounds, and designed other local buildings. Amongst them our village hall in 1866 and also part of our church of St Michael in 1883. (A copy of his work can be seen in the book “Witley and Thursley Parish Churches”). Francis Harcourt Gooch, 1886-1901 Bill from R B Stedman, Bookseller, to Revd F H Gooch, June 30, 1898 The Revd F H Gooch at Dye House, 1918 Alfred Percivall Pott 1901 - 1907* *spelling is different from that shown above but is correct as far as church records are concerned. Edgar Torr Hudson, 1907 - 1914 In 1911, Edgar T. Hudson, vicar of Thursley, applied for a grant from the National Society to enlarge the school. The society sent H. W. Burrows, its own architect, to work on the project. Following his survey, it was strongly recommended to carry out some structural alterations to bring the building up to modern standards. His plans included a new classroom for 40 children (probably the North Hall), a new class for girls and infants, rebuilding or altering the offices, the addition of dormer windows in the large school and a better system of ventilation. The cost of the alterations was estimated at £465 and Edgar Hudson managed to raise some of the money through a fund scheme carried out in the parish. The school was already being used for some social activities, but with an enlarged room it became a better place for parochial gatherings such as choir practices, concerts, plays, meetings, and so on. Throughout the years, the school served as a place for education and a place to bring the community together through its social events. After the school closed in 1959 it was decided to use the building as a community hall and money was raised by selling The Institute (now Prospect Cottage) and the site next to the Three Horseshoes Pub on which stood the old wooden village hall. Charles Kaye Watson, 1914 - 1918 C K Watson was vicar of Thursley throughout the First World War. Here is a letter to parishioners that was in the Parish Magazine: Addison James Wheeler, 1925 - 1932 From Durham University The Addison Wheeler Fellowships are funded by a bequest from Addison James Wheeler, who died in 1967 at the age of eighty-five. Having read Theology at Durham University, Wheeler became a schoolmaster and afterwards took Holy Orders. Ill health prevented him from achieving his ambition of a career in scientific research. During his lifetime this remarkable man devoted himself to building up sufficient capital to support young scholars, whom he hoped would be able to make a significant contribution to knowledge that he himself had been unable to achieve. As reported above, the Vicarage suffered a terrible fire in 1930. Unfortunately some church records were destroyed in the blaze as the vicar had taken them home having removed them from the church safe. Revd Wheeler was responsible for uncovering the 12th Century sedile (a group of stone seats for clergy in the south chancel wall of a church, usually three in number and often canopied and decorated, OED) in the church and for discovering in 1927 the Saxon windows in the chancel. After the fire, the Revd Wheeler bought the Haybarn field at Smallbrook Farm and converted a yard and barn used for the cattle and known as "The Hovel" into a bungalow, which then got rebuilt by Paul Wedge. Sadly, the Revd Wheeler could not stay due to his asthma induced by the cattle. He had to sell and move away. He and his wife divorced and he left the ministry. Mary Bennett said that he ran off with his ward. He was vicar of Thursley from 1925 - 1932. H Gordon French, 1932-1959 The Revd French with Mrs Lettice Fisher Dedication of Mothers' Union Banner Memories of H Gordon French Kenneth Mathews, 1968 -1977 This memoir of Revd A K Mathews, OBE, DSC, was based largely on an obituary in The Daily Telegraph and an article in the Thursley Parish Magazine of February 1993. It also appears in The Lives of the People of Thursley, published by the History of Thursley Society, which can be found on this website. Not mentioned in the article is that he was the progenitor of the Thursley Harvest Supper in 1972 which has recently been resurrected. The complete article can be downloaded from this pdf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Mathews https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-the-rev-kenneth-mathews-1564982.html A John Stephens, 1977 - 1983 From the Church Times: STEPHENS. — On 13 October, the Revd (Archibald) John Stephens: CMS Missionary (1950-52); Manager and Chaplain of Ado-Ekiti Hospital (1950-55); Priest-in-Charge of CMS Training Centre, Akure (1955-56); E.T.C., St John’s College, Owo (1956-59); Principal of Bishop Phillips Hall, Owo (1958-60); Hon. Can of St Stephen’s Cathedral, Ondo-Benin (1957-71); Assistant Curate, of Christ Church and St Mary, Swindon (1968-70); Hon. Canon of Owerri since 1971; Curate-in-Charge of Ash Vale Conventional District (1971-72); Vicar of St Mary’s, Ash Vale (1972-77); Priest-in-Charge of Thursley (1977-82); aged 100. The Advertiser, July 16, 1982 The Herald, July 16th 1982 Order of Service for the Revd Stevens is complete in the pdf below: William David Lang 1992 - 2010 John Jeremy Page 2010-2020 https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/6-march/features/features/ordination-would-i-do-it-again-no Hannah Thérèse Moore 2020 - https://parishesofetsph.org.uk/team-members/rev-hannah-moore/ Here is a complete list of Rectors, Vicars and Patrons from a photograph taken in the Church:

The Revd A Percivall Pott published the first Thursley Parish Magazine in January 1902. The scans of the pages below seem to constitute how the magazine was presented. Apart from recording key events in the Parish, a record of marriages, births and burials are useful for historians. Here are the 12 months of 1902:

Boxalls and Vine Cottage were originally a single three bay building with a central open hall. The heavily sooted roof structure supports this. There are some interesting features, notably a bespoke oak hook installed in the stair case void which the heritage consultants believe was used to hang/dry meat. Boxalls was later extended to create a cross-wing (now Vine Cottage), and extended again to the rear in the late 19th / early 20th century and split into two cottages to form Boxalls and Vine Cottage as they are today. Historic maps also indicate that the original plot of Boxalls comprised the existing plots of Vine Cottage (to the south) and Wheelwrights (to the north). The current owners wish that was still the case and they weren’t ‘boxed’ in by the two adjacent properties as they are today. Perhaps it’s how Boxalls got its name or more likely it was named after a local family (it was actually called Tudor Cottage until around 1960). Below is the 1977 Report by the Surrey Domestic Buildings Research Group Note: They date the house 1600 but Manorwood, the heritage consultant we used for planning, dated it much earlier circa. 1525. Bob and Nancy Swanson, 1977 Previous owners of Boxall and Vine Cottage include: Thompson, Moss, Seaford, O'Brien, Edwards

This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in October 2021 (see also separate entry for The Hindhead Murder 1786 - 1986). Since then a considerable amount of material from the archives of the society has been added. The Unknown Sailor was an anonymous seafarer murdered in the Devil’s Punchbowl in September 1786, and buried in Thursley’s churchyard. His murderers were hanged in chains on Gibbet Hill, Hindhead the following year. In his book Who was the Sailor murdered at Hindhead 1786 (2000), Peter Moorey argues the case that the Unknown Sailor's identity was Edward Hardman, born in 1752 in Lambeth, London, although this has not been confirmed. The story goes thus: The sailor was visiting the Red Lion Inn at Thursley, as he was walking back from London to join his ship at Portsmouth on 24 September 1786. There, he met three other seafarers, James Marshall, Michael Casey and Edward Lonegon. He generously paid for their drinks and food and was last seen leaving for Hindhead Hill with them. The three seafarers murdered and robbed him and stripped him of his clothes. The three then made their way down the London to Portsmouth road (now the A3) and were arrested a few hours later trying to sell the murdered sailor's clothes at the Sun Inn in Rake. The Hampshire Chronicle, dated 2 October 1786, reads: Sunday last a shocking murder was committed by three sailors, on one of their companions, a seaman also, between Godalming and Hindhead. They nearly severed his head from his body, stripped him quite naked, and threw him into a valley, where he was providentially discovered, soon after the perpetration of the horrid crime, by some countrymen corning over Hind Head, who immediately gave the alarm, when the desperadoes were instantly pursued, and overtaken at the house of Mr. Adams, The Sun, at Rake. They were properly secured, and are since lodged in gaol, to take their trials at the next assizes for the county of Surrey. Six months later they were tried at Kingston assizes (the precursor of Crown Courts) and two days after that, on Saturday 7 April 1787, they were hanged in chains on a triple gibbet close to the scene of the crime in Hindhead. The blacksmith who made the chains and gibbet was Richard Court who is buried in Thursley churchyard and his headstone bears the inscription: ‘My Sledge and Hammer lie reclin’d, My Bellows too have lost their wind; My Fire is out, and Forge decay’s, And in the Dust my Vice is laid.’ The sailor was buried in our churchyard and the gravestone was paid for by the residents of the village. It reads: In memory of A generous but unfortunate Sailor Who was barbarously murder'd on Hindhead On September 24th 1786 By three Villains After he had liberally treated them And promised them his farther assistance On the road to Portsmouth. The Sailor's Stone at Gibbet Hill (in The Punchbowl) was erected by James Stillwell of nearby Cosford Mill soon after the murder. It was sited on the Old Coaching Road from London to Portsmouth close to the site of the murder. The inscription on the front of the stone reads: ERECTED In detestation of a barbarous Murder Committed here on an unknown Sailor On Sep, 24th 1786 By Edwd. Lonegon, Mich. Casey & Jas. Marshall Who were all taken the same day And hung in Chains near this place Whoso sheddeth Man's Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed: Genesis Chap 9 Ver 6 In 1851 Sir William Erle paid for the erection of a granite Celtic cross on Gibbet Hill on the site of the scaffold. He did this to dispel the fears and superstitions of local people and to raise their spirits. The cross has four Latin inscriptions around its base. They read: POST TENEBRAS LUX IN OBITU PAX IN LUCE SPES POST OBITUM SALUS which translate to "Light after darkness. Peace in passing away. Hope in light. Salvation after death." All monuments are standing to this day. St Michael and All Angels churchyard Scan of a bookplate of the Sailor's Stone on Gibbet Hill From the Guildford Muniment Room: a facsimili of the engraving on the headstone and the entry in the Thursley Burial Register: Memorandum expressing outrage of Sailor's second stone at the Gibbet: Turnpike Trustees Resolution: The Inscriptions: Undated letter from F L Borelli of Farnham, but postmarked dated 25th May, 1951, enclosing original facsimile of the above. It is on our archive but extremely fragile. The pdf of the contents is below: These transcriptions are from Assize Records held at the Public Record Office. They are all reports made in 1786 and 1787 and include the names of the jurors as well as press reports of the event, trial and sentences. They can be found in the pdf below: The murder of the unknown sailor has always attracted press coverage: From the Surrey Advertiser, 10th July 1976 Newspaper cuttings from 30th March 1990 and 2nd August 1991 From the Farnham Herald, 14th March 1986 From the Surrey Villager, undated Two books: The Hindhead Murder 1786 - 1986 By Judy Hewins The complete text of this book is in the pdf below: Who was the Sailor Murdered at HIndhead 1786? By Peter Moorey Pamphlet first published by Peter Moorey in 1986: Peter Moorey has greatly expanded and illustrated the content: Front and back cover of latest edition of Peter Moorey's book. The Sailor's Stone on Gibbet Hill from a postcard published by H S Tozer The Sailor's Stone The Cross on Gibbet Hill This account of the brutal murder of the Unknown Sailor has been recounted on BBC Sounds 'Secret Surrey': https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jfv6k4

The RAF station next to Hindhead was envisaged as part of a short-range, blind-landing system to improve safety during night operations. However, during the course of development by the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) near Swanage, the range was found to be far better than expected. It then developed into a long-range, general navigation system. There is also a report of a tragic air accident at RAF Gibbet. Hill during the closing stages of WW2 and post-war life at RAF Gibbet Hill. This article was kindly provided to the Thursley History Society by Dr John N Bennett. Photo from the Imperial War Museum These are just two pages of the 11 page report written by Dr John N Bennett The complete report is in this pdf: Sadly, there was a tragic air accident at RAF Gibbet Hill during the war, we are grateful to Paul McCue for this information as in his book, Dunsfold: Surrey's Most Secret Airfield 1942 - 1992, Paul wrote: "...[other former PoWs].....managed a lift to England in a Curtis Commando of the USAAF on 6th May 1945. As the aircraft headed for the American airfield at Membury [RAF Membury - USAAF Station AAF-466, station code ME] in Wiltshire [there's still a little of the airfield left but it is better known today as the location of Membury Services on the M4], it collided with the aerial of an RAF radio station on Gibbet, Hill, Hindhead. Although Dunsfold's medical services raced to the scene, all 31 men on board were found dead on impact, along with a Canadian officer from the radio station'. Here is the report: Date:Sunday 6 May 1945Time:12:54Type: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU CommandoOwner/operator:United States Army Air Force - USAAFRegistration:44-77839MSN:33235Year of manufacture:1945Fatalities:Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 30Other fatalities:1Aircraft damage:DestroyedCategory:AccidentLocation:Hindhead - United Kingdom Phase:En routeNature:MilitaryDeparture airport: Newbury-Greenham Common RAF Station (EWY/EGVI) 8/10 cloud coverage at 600 feet caused the pilot to fly very low. The C-46 entered a valley where it struck the Gee tower about 1000m south east of the Gibbets Hill Gee tower. The airplane lost its right wing and crashed. Date & Time: May 6, 1945 at 1254 LT Type of aircraft: Curtiss C-46 Commando Operator: Registration: 44-77839 Flight Phase: Landing (descent or approach) Flight Type: Ambulance Survivors: No Site: Mountains MSN: 33235 YOM: 1945 Location: Hindhead Surrey Country: United Kingdom Region: Europe Crew on board: 2 Crew fatalities: 2 Pax on board: 28 Pax fatalities: 28 Other fatalities: 1 Total fatalities: 31 Circumstances: The crew was completing a flight to the US, repatriating wounded US soldiers. It was scheduled to make a stopover at RAF Greenham Common near Newbury, Berkshire. Starting the descent, the crew encountered low visibility with clouds to 600 feet. While flying in a mountainous area, the twin engine aircraft hit a radar antenna, lost its right wing and crashed in flames on a hut located on Mt Gibbet located near Hindhead, Surrey. All 30 occupants and one person in hut were killed. Crew: 2nd Lt John N. Boyce Jr., 1st Lt Herbert R. Chickering. Probable cause: It was determined that the crew started the approach in visual mode in IMC. The aircraft hit a 70 meters high radar antenna that was not visible because it was not equipped with lights. Also, the crew was unaware of the presence of the antenna as it was not showed on any charts. Here is a newspaper report: Evening Telegraph & Post, May 9, 1945 OVER 30 KILLED IN PLANE CRASH An aeroplane accident which occurred at Hindhead on Sunday afternoon resulted in the death of over 30 service personnel. An American transport plane, returning from the Continent, passed over the Punch Bowl flying low and afterwards collided with one of the tall pylons at the RAF radio station at Gibbet Hill. It was raining at the time and there was low mist over the district. The plane crashed on two huts in the station grounds and one of the station personnel was killed. The machine burst into flames and was practically destroyed. Of the 32 occupants of the plane – crew and passengers – not one survived. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PEACE TIME LIFE AT RAF GIBBET HILL Life in the RAF at peacetime is captured here by AC1 Peter Hocking and we are grateful to his son, Steve Hocking, for the donation of his father's papers and the Signal Office Diary illustrated below: Here are some pages from the diary: AC1 Peter Hocking at RAF Gibbet Hill RAF Gibbet Hill, June 1950: Watch List, Operators and Mechanics AC1 Peter Hocking's National Service Record Page 1 of Peter Hocking's recollections. The full account can be found in the pdf below. Peter Hocking's Discharge Papers

As usual, Thursley does nothing by half and produced an extensive programme of events for everyone to enjoy: VICTORY EUPHORIA First up was 'Victory Euphoria', Thursley History Society's exhibition held in the village hall. To mark and celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Thursley residents researched and retold the wartime experiences of their relatives during the nearly six years of conflict. Setting up! In the foreground, Simon Treadwell, Sukey Langdale and Peter Rickendberg L to R: Sukey Langdale; Bryan Stevens; Sally Scheffers, Chairman; Sue Ranson The show was opened formally by Bryan Stevens, son of Sir Roger Stevens formerly of High Hill Farm. There were well over 100 exhibits (see separate entry for 'Victory Euphoria') and the event was well attended throughout the two days. The ceramic plaques that surrounded the flagpole were all made by Sally Scheffers. Tim Wakeley with his 1930 Austin 7 THURSLEY IN BLOOM For two consecutive Saturdays, some gardens were opened: first in Thursley on Saturday, 3rd May; and then Bowlhead Green on Thursday, 8th May. Those who had registered to see the gardens were aided by beautiful maps and illustrations prepared by John Swift. The Church looked wonderful for the occasion Badgers; Bear's Barn; Sunset Cottage; Little Green; Wheelwrights; Hill Farm Barns; Halcyon Fields - following the sequence of the walk The Order of Service can be found in full in this pdf: These two events are covered in the article below. The pdf below has all the songs that were chosen: This article by Sally Scheffers was published in the Parish Magazine in June 2025: THANK YOU Our VE & VJ Day Celebrations are over. Our combined efforts brought a lot of people out to enjoy the various activities and it was wonderful to see old friends and make new ones. Saturday the 2nd May was busy. The “Victory Euphoria” Exhibition presented by the Thursley History Society opened in the Village Hall with numerous stories of the relatives of village residents. The high point seemed to be the wartime toys made out of whatever came to hand. Marion O'Brien kindly loaned her beautiful, crocheted dolls with their chicken wishbone frames. They are so special and were a huge hit for the visitors. On a larger scale was Sukey Langdale's model farm which is about eight square feet and is made from the thin strips of wood from old orange boxes. It was made by Sukey's mother-in-law, Daphne, for her sons and is a replica of their family farm in Midhurst. It has the buildings, the cows, the pigs, the sheep, the horses, the people and even the bloodhounds they bred. It is wonderful and has obviously been cherished to have lasted so long. There were also log books, medals, a nazi dagger and prisoner of war documents to fill the display cases. Dr Dennis Smith brought his father's photo albums – Colonel Douglas Smith had been an equine vet with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps and had worked with the mules and horses in the Middle East and Yugoslavia. Outside we had a perfect Austin 7 gleaming in the sunshine and on the Sunday a wartime Jeep too. Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to make the exhibition the success it was. For months before I had called it, rather tongue in cheek, “The Great Exhibition”, but thanks to the wonderful response from the contributors it was! So thank you and to the History Society Committee for all your help. The exhibition can be found on huge thanks to everyone who contributed to make the exhibition the success it was. For months before I had called it, rather tongue in cheek, “The Great Exhibition”, but thanks to the wonderful response from the contributors it was! So thank you and to the History Society Committee for all your help. The exhibition can be found on https://www.thursleyhistorysociety.org/post/victory-euphoria-thursley-history-society-s-exhibition-to-celebrate-the-80th-anniversary-of-ve-da Outside the Hall Pat Clake and Lisa Woods, on behalf of the Horticultural Society, had organised “Gardens Open” in the middle of the village. On a glorious day the spring gardens looked their best and were very much enjoyed. Maps were available from the Church which had also been beautifully decorated with floral arrangements by Lisa and Debbie Spencer along with a group of talented flower arrangers. Thank you! Saturday evening was our wartime themed concert / sing-a-long in the Church. Claire Dailly, Wendy Edwards, Sabrina Dragoni-Long and myself produced a fun evening of patriotism and bucket loads of nostalgia. Grateful thanks go to our guest musicians who stepped in and joined in. Richard Fermer on Double Bass and his wife Gwen on Saxophone have recently moved to Witley and answered Claire's request on facebook for musicians. They love to play and I hope they will play for us again. Rob Lewis on keyboards and vocals is a professional musician and he too answered the call to play and our concert was very different from those he usually conducts but Rob had a blast. And to Wendy and her choir thank you for all coming along to lead us and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we all did. Thank you to Sabry for your incredible and powerful voice and personality. Sunday morning Delia Orme led a special Church Service to remember and commemorate Victory in Europe. Delia's sermon was sensitive and thoughtful and a good balance to the weekend where we all took time to reflect. Mike Spencer led the first softball match at the Cricket Club and Camilla Daubeny made a special cake for the players and spectators. It was super that everyone could be a part of the game and I'm sure will be repeated. Throughout the weekend the Village Hall Committee ran a pop up cafe for all the visitors and passing cyclists! I'm sure everyone was very grateful for the tea and home made cake – thank you. On Thursday 8th May the gardens of Bowlhead Green opened and were much admired by all the visitors. Weeks of work went into getting them ready and they all looked glorious. Thank you. Later, the official celebration began with the early evening bell ringing. All three of the Church's bells rang for half an hour with Tim Wakeley, Steve Cruickshank, Anne Treadwell, Peter Hunter, Simon Treadwell taking it in turns. Outside in the Churchyard, in the evening sunshine, listening to the bells was very poignant. Thank you. On Thursday 8th May the gardens of Bowlhead Green opened and were much admired by all the visitors. Weeks of work went into getting them ready and they all looked glorious. Thank you. Later, the official celebration began with the early evening bell ringing. All three of the Church's bells rang for half an hour with Tim Wakeley, Steve Cruickshank, Anne Treadwell, Peter Hunter, Simon Treadwell taking it in turns. Outside in the Churchyard, in the evening sunshine, listening to the bells was very poignant. Thank you. On Thursday 8th May the gardens of Bowlhead Green opened and were much admired by all the visitors. Weeks of work went into getting them ready and they all looked glorious. Thank you. Later, the official celebration began with the early evening bell ringing. All three of the Church's bells rang for half an hour with Tim Wakeley, Steve Cruickshank, Anne Treadwell, Peter Hunter, Simon Treadwell taking it in turns. Outside in the Churchyard, in the evening sunshine, listening to the bells was very poignant. Thank you. Michelle de Vries and Claire Dailly had organised the Parish Council's celebration at the pub. The copious lengths of bunting fluttered all around thanks to Peter and Teresa Goble and Peter's platform cage on his telehandler. Michelle had created wonderful tins with old wartime labels and the pub was full of props and even a UXB cordoned off area complete with replica bomb! Sally and Dave Catchpole brought their beautifully restored tear drop caravan and 1940's caravan which were much admired and brought a vintage feel to the evening. The stage for our performers was the wooden cabin and it was perfect for “The Cadettes” who sang to everyone gathered outside the pub. We should have all followed Ella and Stanley's lead and danced and thank you to the children for hopping and swaying and thoroughly revelling in the forties songs. Michelle and Daniel fed us all with portions of fish and chips, salt, vinegar, tomato sauce and a big bowl of delicious homemade tartar sauce. It was so good and how they managed to feed around 120 people so efficiently was very impressive. Well done and thank you. There was also a generous array of salads made by Michelle de Vries and her mother Dee, Sandi Hanauer and Moose Thorne (apologies if I've left a name or two out). The salads were a great idea and a very popular accompaniment. Thank you. For pudding there was the WI Orange and Ginger Cakes made by several of us and very tasty. (It was relatively easy to make though the cooking time needed adjusting!) Lucy Goble, without being asked, brought meringues and crème brulees and filled the pudding table. Thank you to everyone who gave us a sweet treat at the end. At 9pm we began the formal proceedings. We listened to a recording of Winston Churchill accepting the German surrender and we all sang I Vow to Thee My Country and God Save the King. James Mendelssohn as Chairman of the Parish Council thanked everyone involved, eighty years ago it was William Featherby as Chairman of the Parish Council who spoke to the village, no doubt thanking them all for their fortitude and service. The O'Brien family were then handed the reins: Michael and Marion read the official VE Day 80 proclamation and then Marion and Sarah lit the beacon which looked amazing standing in front of the pub. It was a perfect end to all the activities. Thank you to everyone in setting it all up, doing it and then taking it all down. It may all be cleared away now but the memories of a unique evening will stay. James Mendelssohn flew the specially purchased VE Day 80 flag from Arthur's flagpole and I had made little porcelain plaques recording the names of those in the exhibition to go around the base. The flag flew for over a week and looked fantastic. And with all the bunting on and around the pub it was very obvious that Thursley remembered, commemorated and celebrated the end of the Second World War with enthusiasm and heartfelt gratitude. Sally Scheffers, May 2025 Historical side note: the erection of the flagpole, raising and lowering the flag for the first time by the instigator, Arthur Moss in 1995:

Thursley History Society has put transport as the main focus of its activities in 2026. We are delighted to publish this history of Mathwall Engineering written by Peter Hunter. Yesteryear Today, July 2026 The transition of the Red Lion Garage from what it was in the days of Reg Cottle (see: The Red Lion Garage, Reg Cottle and many road traffic accidents) to today’s modern state of the art motor engineering centre is quite staggering. The Red Lion Garage was first established in the 1930s and was eventually taken over from Reg Cottle by Mathwall Engineering Ltd in 1978 when they moved from their original premises in West Byfleet. Mathwall Engineering Ltd was formed in 1967 by Stuart Mathieson and Peter Wallace, both of whom had left Alan Mann Racing having worked on the highly successful Ford racing programmes. See: About – Mathwall Mathwall’s primary business was, and remains, the development of high-performance internal combustion engines to be used in motor sport - something they have done successfully for many clients over several continents. See Mathwall’s 50th anniversary brochure from 2017 which is reproduced in full in the pdf below: One of the company’s most famous efforts was in the engineering of the Ford GT40 Mk ll that came 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the 1966 24 Hour Le Mans Grand Prix. In fact, all three cars crossed the finishing line precisely together in a photo finish following team orders. The race stewards then had to decide the winner, which they did by choosing the car that was furthest from the start line at the beginning and therefore had travelled some few metres further than the others. That car was driven by Bruce McLaren with Ken Miles, who had been the overall leader, placed second. This development came about due to the competition between Mr Henry Ford ll and Sig. Enzo Ferrari. About that time Henry Ford ll wanted to acquire the Italian specialist car manufacturer but was rebuffed by Enzo. This led to Ford determining that they were therefore going to beat Ferrari on the track. In order to achieve this, they turned to the British engineering firm, Alan Mann Racing, which Stuart Mathieson was part of. The whole of this story of competition between Ford and Ferrari was the basis for the very successful film ‘Le Mans 66’ produced in 2019 by 20th Century Fox and starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Later in the 80’s here in Thursley, Stuart Mathieson prepared cars and engines for Stirling Moss (Sir). During this period of cooperation Stirling’s 1965 Shelby GT350 Ford Mustang was frequently seen at the Goodwood Motor Circuit and on one such occasion in 1992 Lord March decided to launch the Festival of Speed, which has now become a popular annual event in the motor racing calendar. It was in 1909 when Moss and Mathieson were at the T&I Super Sports Festival at the Okayama Circuit in Japan, Stuart was pleased to see that almost all of the V8 powered cars on the grid were fitted with Mathwall engines prepared in Thursley. These cars all achieved speeds well in excess of ~200 mph. In 2007 Stuart Mathieson handed over the business to his son, Mark Mathieson. The company continued to invest in new technologies and facilities, one of which was an advanced dynamometer. A dynamometer or "dyno" is a device for simultaneously measuring the torque and rotational speed (RPM) of an engine. It would not be surprising that not many villagers would have been aware of this as the extreme noise made when these engines reach peak performance was well contained in a fully soundproofed 20’ test cell! Mark Mathieson has been a leading light in the motor sport world since he graduated from the University of Bath (MPhil) with a Postgraduate Research in Engine Design & Development. Between 1999 and 2008 Mark was head of F1 high performance engines and Formular One Development Manager at Mercedes. For eleven years from 2008 he was working for McClaren motors both as chief engineer of the power train sector and Director of Innovation for McLaren Applied Technologies. Mark Mathieson was awarded an MBE for his work on developing, in record breaking time, the urgently required medical Ventilator during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mark's other company, PurpleSector Ltd is now also located at the Red Lion Garage premises here in Thursley and specialises in fast development of technologies spanning a plethora of industries and as their website states: “Born in the white heat of Formula 1™, we’re an engineering-led, data-driven consultancy that builds solutions for complex, high value challenges.” So now the Red Lion Garage has truly leapt from the post steam age to the highest level of technology in the 21st century. It is to be noted that a Thursley resident, Andrew Shepherd, had his racing AC Cobra prepared by Mathwall for many years. Further, it would seem that our Parish is becoming quite a centre of Formula 1 celebrities with the addition of the well-known CEO of McClaren Racing (Woking), Zak Brown and his wife, becoming permanent residents. In Formula 1 Motor Racing, each circuit is divided into three sectors, roughly one-third of the track each, to allow detailed analysis of lap performance. A purple sector occurs when a driver records the fastest time of anyone in that sector during a practice, qualifying, or race session. The term comes from F1’s color-coded timing system, where purple represents the best or fastest sector time, green indicates a personal best, and yellow shows no improvement. Mathwall’s 50th Anniversary in 2017

Includes: photographs from 'Friday night Shoes'; review of Haslemere Vets Includes: Memories of Thursley; update on Thursley Pavilion project

From John Betjeman's Guide to English Parish Churches: "Pre-Conquest windows were discovered during aggressive restoration by Ferry in 1860; a triangular recess in the chancel has been interpreted as a Saxon oven for baking wafers. The nave is dominated by the timber cage supporting an impressive 15th-century wooden bell-turret" Memories of Revd H Gordon French, Vicar of Thursley 1932 - 1959 St Michael & All Angels: A Brief Guide From a leaflet originally compiled by the Revd A W Mills, Vicar 1959 - 1968 and revised in 1980 A Short Guide to The Parish Church of St Michael And All Angels An undated 6 page leaflet by Alan Bott, OBE, MA, FSA The interior of the Church before the installation of the organ and still with oil lamps The front of the Church before it was extended. The interior photograph of the Church shows the Gallery The West side of the Church A pastel sketch dated 25th May 1929 made by Norman Parley Thursley Church, 1938 The illustration of the Church above comes from pages of a book held by Surrey Archeological Collections and reproduced in the pdf below 18th Century Table Tombs: "One of Thursley's landmarks, the large well-known old horse chestnut tree, at the Parish Church, fell victim to the gale on Monday evening (14th November 1977). Canon John Stevens, the vicar, said it was a miracle the tree did not fall the other way as it could have hit the church or it could have crashed on one of the cottages by the church. As it was, "it laid itself nicely across the road, blocking it." The church gate and a section of boundary wall have been damaged. The tree, thought to have been one of the largest horse chestnuts in Surrey, is referred to in tourist guide books and also has a brief mention in the Thursley Church Guide Book published in the 1960s which suggests it was 250 years old. Many years ago it was subject to tree surgery with iron rods holding the trunk together. These rods were made at the Elstead Forge by the late Guy Bovington, his daughter Mrs G Hewitt recollects. Many old Thursley residents and others, were sad to learn about the end of the tree under which, said one resident, "generations of Thursley have passed to worship in the church and for weddings, christenings and funerals". Picture shows Mr Otto Jaenicke who is over six foot tall and Miss A Ayres beside the roots of the fallen giant chestnut. Extract taken from The Herald of Friday, November 18th 1977 Most likely to have occurred in the early 1980s From The Guildford Diocesan Herald, 2008 This is a link to the Church's website: https://parishesofetsph.org.uk/about-us/st-michael-and-all-angels-church/

One mile from Thursley, the substantial and historic house of Milhanger occupies a dramatic elevated position, surrounded by its own extensive grounds From Knight, Franks sales particulars, April 2025 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/160626821#/?channel=RES_BUY From Savills and Strutt & Parker's sale particulars: https://media.onthemarket.com/properties/1001670/doc_1_2.pdf An extensive write-up from Country Life: https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/surrey-rhapsody-the-arts-and-crafts-mansion-that-was-home-to-queen-drummer-roger-taylor-214312 And another from the Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2807655/8million-mansion-Geldof-suite-party-barn-remarkably-colourful-rock-n-roll-pedigree.html Milhanger was designed by the architect Harold Falkner (28 November 1875 – 30 November 1963) an exponent of the Arts & Crafts movement. He lived in Farnham for much of his life.