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Re: Time Team Spitfire dig

Posted by Cees Broere on Fri Feb 15, 2002 09:19:08 AM

In reply top Re: Time Team Spitfire dig posted by Steve Young on Fri Feb 15, 2002 07:44:45 AM

Steve,

Depends on the crashsite. If we are talking recoveries on land then it usually takes a few hours to a full day. In extreme cases we need the following day to clean up the land and take away the wreckage.

Recoveries from lakes and ditches take more time. For instance: the recovery of Whitley N1521 in 1995 took five consecutive saturdays (in our spare time, because we all have jobs), and it is still not finished. This spring the small lake will be deepened and we have arranged with the keeper of the nature reserve that we can be there when work starts, to look for anything that is still left at the bottom.

If we are investigation IJsselmeer crashes then it takes more time. When a wreck is found then at first the type and identity needs to be established. Usually we get some parts which are very useful to identify the type, but the identitiy is a whole different matter. There are many aircraft wrecks in the IJsselmeer which are still listed missing to this day. Sometimes the location leads to a positive identification or eye-witnesses can be of help but these people are not getting any younger. It mostly comes down to picking up debris from the bottom and looking for any clues. When the wreck is completely buried in mud (like Lanc DV286 is) then this makes matters even more difficult. For example our investigation of Lanc DV286 has been going on since 1998 when the wreck was found at first. We identified it but to be 100% certain the wreck needs to be recovered because of the five missing airmen stil aboard. But at least we don not dig around a few rounds with a spoon.

Cees

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