HISTORY experts at the Winchester University are hoping to piece together the final journey of an Allied bomber which crashed in Germany in 1944, writes Michael Carr.
Researchers are excavating the crash site where the ill-fated RAF 10 Squadron Halifax LV881 was shot down as it taking part in the infamous Nuremberg Raid on March 30 and 31.
Four of the-seven-strong crew were killed and the other three were taken prisoners of war.
They have managed to unearth personal items belonging to the crew including an RAAF cap badge which belonged to mid upper air gunner Hugh Birch which was found in a metal detector survey and a penknife while parts of the plane were also found like Perspex from the windows and plastic cable duct.
The crash site in Hessen is the focus of a summer study initiated by local archaeological society Hessen ARCHÄOLOGIE and the archaeology department at the university.
It is hoped then the site will give up its remaining secrets and allow the University of Winchester's specialist researchers to piece together a detailed account of the warplane's journey on that fateful night.
The archaeological dig in west Germany with Winchester University academics
The plane was attacked twice by a night fighter whilst it approached Nuremberg, the aircraft was holed in the starboard wing, then its number 3 fuel tank burst open and caught fire. After an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the fire, skipper Walter Regan gave the order to bail out and four of the crew.
After an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the fire, skipper Walter Regan gave the order to bail out and four of the crew (Ronald Tindal, Bill Norris, Norman Wilmot and Alan Lawes) managed to escape the burning aircraft. Sadly, in the chaos, tail gunner Ronald Tindal fell through his harness to his death.
The crew members remained with the bomber until it exploded above a hill near Hungen-Steinheim, and pilot Walter Regan stayed at the controls to give his crew the best chance of survival.
The survivors were later captured in Germany and sent to a POW camp.
Today the aircrew which included W.T.A Regan, W,W Norris, N Wilmot, A.D Lawes, D.L Smith, E.H Birch, R.T Tindal will be remembered in a memorial service for the aircrew's relatives at the crash site.
Of the seven men on board four were killed in the crash, three survived. Bill Norris, Norman Wilmot and Alan Lawes were taken prisoner and all three survived the War to return home. Although now in deteriorating health, flight engineer Alan Lawes still survives and, at the age of 92, lives near London. Alan will be represented at the memorial service by his two sons.
The Nuremberg Raid saw 795 aircraft sent on audacious bombing raid on the German city- but the raid came at a huge cost with 96 aircraft lost with the loss of 700 men and represented Bomber Command's heaviest mission loss during the War.
Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Winchester, Dr Phil Marter, said: “This study gives us a great opportunity to provide a full account of the fate of the lost aircraft and the crew for their relatives, and to create a commemorative record of specific historic events.
“We hope that our work ensures that these men's story will not be forgotten and that their brave sacrifice remains in our memories long into the future.”
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