SEVENTY-FIVE years ago, as the Battle of Britain raged in the skies over Hampshire, the Daily Echo published a remarkable report describing the capture of four German airman after their Junkers 88 bomber had been shot down by an RAF Spitfire over Hampshire.

We revealed how Mr Trevor Ashton Stubbs, a land-owner and engineer, had an afternoon picnic with two friends interrupted by the air battle that developed over head.

The group watched as the Junkers prepared to make a forced landing by jettisoning seven bombs, which exploded harmlessly on Mr Stubbs’ farmland, before the bomber finally came down with the attacking Spitfire watching the stricken Nazi aircraft all the way down until impact.

Describing what followed, Mr. Stubbs said: “We got into the car andI drove towards the spot where the plane landed. On the wayI picked up Mr. Ralph Griffen, my tenant farmer, and two labourers.

"As we got out of the car three German airmen came walking towards us across the field. One man said to me in fairly good English, ‘We are your prisoners’ and I motioned to them to put up their arms and they obeyed.

“I undid the belt of the man who appeared to be the leader and took from him his revolver and a big clasp knife.

"I also disarmed a second man and my gardener disarmed the third. After we had taken their weapons the Germans put out their hands and we shook hands."

After helping a fourth, very dazed, airman out of the bomber the group conversed with the airmen while awaiting the arrival of the military with the English-speaking airmen saying admiringly, “Your Spitfires are wonderful.”

Mr Stubbs added: “The airman also asked me if it was my farm on which their bombs had fallen. When I replied that it was, he smiled and apologised, saying ‘I am sorry. They behaved very decently. They had had a good fight and realised they were beaten.”