I was privileged to attend the BofB service at the Abbey some years ago. During the battle I lived a few miles from Tangmere and remember the Stuka 87 dive bombers bombing the airfield vividly. I was only 7 when the war started but for 'our gang' they were exciting times. With so much more freedom than today's children we were always in the race to get to crashed aircraft before the LDV (Home Guard) or the civil police. My bedroom was adorned with all sorts of aircraft instruments. Of course they glowed in the dark and those from German aircraft had a very distinctive smell. There was the aluminium inner nose cap from a Hurricane (marked 'AM') and, until they were confiscated, live ammunition, much to my bitter disappointment.
Mike (ex 16 Sqn)