An aviation historian contacted Marchwood Parish Council asking this question. Colette passed him onto me. Thank you, Colette.

The story sprang from a book written by the Camp Commandant of the place near London where spies of all kinds were held in World War 2, known as Camp 020. It was at the centre of the XX or Double Cross system, whereby many spies captured were turned to work for the British, others were less fortunate!

Our fellow rejoiced under the name of Lucien Jules Francois Le Coq, a young Frenchman. His main interest was to try and further an invention involving, of all things, a fruit juice machine! He was capable of being more trouble to any organisation which was unlucky enough to own him at the time.

This included the German Intelligence Service in France. Its stock was rather low in late 1942 and they took on LeCoq, after he volunteered to fly to England and find out what the pilots of the Free French forces were doing here.

He owned a Comper-Swift light aeroplane and set off from France in early December 1942, arriving at Marchwood soon after. Soon he found himself in Camp 020. Here he made such a nuisance of himself, feeling indignant that anyone could disbelieve his interest in fruit machines, that he escaped death. In fact he was repatriated to France after D Day, and doubtless Camp 020 was delighted to see the back of him.

The aviation historian asked if there was anyone in Marchwood who could verify this story in any way. For the sake of trying, and expecting to be thought slightly well, .............you know!

I asked around the Military Port (now Sea Mounting Centre) if anyone had by any chance, come across and old aeroplane in years gone by? Imagine my surprise when Major David Nicholas, a very long serving senior maritime instructor came up with some sort of an answer.

He recalled that sometime in the 1970’s the then Commanding Officer ordered a major clean up, presumably because some General was due to visit. This produced the remains of a small aircraft, which was found unexpectedly, party buried.

It was reburied and later the site was built over. An even older Marchwood hand had told David that bits of a light aircraft had been lying around the Port after World War 2. It had been buried as part of an even earlier clean up by an even earlier Commanding Officer, presumably in advance of a visit by an even earlier General!

So, the story does begin to fit. LeCoq’s presence at Camp 020 is well documented and the record that he had landed at Marchwood was included in the archives of that Camp. Major Nicholas’ feat of memory lends credence to this unlikely Marchwood story.

Do you know of any which is stranger, and has the ring of truth?

Ross Mason