Paul Nash - Under the Cliff

Watercolour, 1940

Image courtesy of the Ashmolean Museum

The subject of this painting came down on the same night (18th/19th June 1940) as the subjects of 'Bomber in the Wood' and 'Dead March Dymchurch 1940'.

Heinkel 111 5J+FP of 6/KG4 had dropped its bombs and was leaving the English coast when it was shot down by a Spitfire flown by F/O GE Ball of 19 Squadron. Still under control, it ditched off Margate.

Unaware of its low altitude, Fw. A Reitzig baled out but his parachute caught on the tail of the aircraft and he was killed. The parachute is visible in the photos below. Lt. H-J Bachaus, Uffz. T Kuhn and Uffz. F Boeck were taken PoW.