History Hunters International

One of our current projects concerns aviation archaeology in England. Why England and not the UK? That is because England (and Wales) has its own laws.

There is some good information on the subject here. Here are there stories for the last two years:

• 2005
• September - New Spitfire and Typhoon digs added.
• September - B-17 &undefined;Tondalayo&undefined; recovery updated.
• October - Roundup of Summer digs and the P-47 from a lake in Austria added.
• October - Details of a missing Mosquito crew recovered from The Wash added.
• October - PDF of English Heritage booklet Military Aircraft Crash Sites added.
• November - Ju88 engine recovered in France.
• November - Halifax with missing crew members recovered in Holland.
  
• 2006
• February - A Typhoon in France.
• May - Polish Spitfire pilot finds his aircraft in France.
• May - Ju88 excavation in Surrey.
• May - Memorial to a Fairey Battle crew.
• June - A Remarkable Spitfire recovery for UK Channel 4 television.
• June - Zeppelin L48 excavation carried out for BBC television.

  The official body for this subject is the British Aviation Archaeological Council. It has a lot of useful information, including details of local groups.

  Our particular interest lies in a German aircraft that was shot down in Lincolnshire during the Second World War.

  

  The Engine Room at the Fenland & West Norfolk Aviation Museum

  This aviation museum has a group for recovery digs and restoration:

  Permission for a dig to take place is often given after several months or years of negotiation with the Royal Air Force (MoD) and landowners and of course hundreds of hours of research into the exact location of the crash site. When the crash site is located by use of metal detectors, historical facts and records and local knowledge, the dig may take place over several days, depending on weather conditions, ground conditions, logistics and manpower.

  Once this has come to fruition and a license is granted to dig the team will set to work with great gusto after receiving a briefing and instructions from the dig supervisor. Present at this briefing will be the dig safety officer, a FAWNAPS armourer, equipment specialists and the research officer along with eager and willing FAWNAPS members.

  Yes, no dig may take place without a licence from the Ministry of Defence. This is quite a recent development and we applaud it. There are still surviving family members of those who died in the war and sensitivity to what may be a war grave should be insisted upon.

  In our case, though, the deceased pilot and crew were given a Christian burial locally.

  We plan to begin surveying in the Autumn of this year (2006).