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A minutes silence was observed by the team as a remark of respect to the Aleksander Pietrzak who was thrown from the aircraft during the dive and was found several miles away. He now rests at Bury Lane Cemetery, Epping, Essex.
Deep searching for buried remains of Mustang III FX876 Carb temp gauge found at the crash site Some surface finds including many .50 shell cases More deep searching equipment is brought in to confirm the readings Melvin with an ammo chute! A selection of surface finds Seat Harness buckle is unearthed With all the permissions granted, the dig commences with safety of prime importance! Mel looks on as the digger removes the top soil which will be put back later Deeper and deeper we go! Kevin searches the spoil heap for important small fragments A prop blade and hub surfaces after more than 60yrs of being buried! The prop and hub is safely recovered Some con rods from the shattered Packard Merlin Engine Our digger driver, Brian, demonstrated some remarkable JCB skills! Mel examining telltale signs of oil stains in the ground Some of the team looking on as the JCB does its stuff! The spoil heap is carefully sifted for any small important finds Melvin sorting through the wreckage An Engine Starter is recovered – note the instruction label Part from the Oil System complete with label – a nice find The prop blade after some initial cleaning The carburettor from the mighty Packard Merlin Engine Another lump of engine – note the small label still present A row of 6 exhaust stubs from one side of the engine A gun mount The team take time for a group photo B-17 ‘Sally B’ flies low over the crash site – What an experience! Roger Jiggins, the land owner – Without his help none of this would have been possible!
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