Gloster Gladiator crash on Lyndhurst Road

Imagine waking up and seeing a fighter plabe in the front garden… On 29 January 1938, a Gloster Gladiator Mk I, K6150, crash-landed in a garden on Lyndhurst Road, Hove, close to the junction with Holland Road.

A fighter plan in the front garden
These photographs captures the extraordinary aftermath which drew quite a crowd. You can see that the aircraft lies badly damaged across the garden as uniformed officials examine the wreckage. These dramatic pictures appeared in The Herald newspaper but despite this not much is known about the story.

What did the Gladiator do during the war?
The Gladiator was a single-seat RAF fighter, armed with four machine guns. It had only been introduced into service in 1937, and was the RAF’s last front-line bi-plane fighter to be made before newer aircraft such as the Hurricane and Spitfire took to the skies. During the war the Gladiator is more well known for it’s service in action in Norway, Malta, North Africa and Greece.

Image credits:

• Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove