Artifacts from Lancaster JA708

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of journeying to Germany and meeting with friends to help me find remains of my father's Lancaster JA708.

Our invaluable guide was Uwe Beckler who also covers a little of the search here https://www.facebook.com/#!/uwe.benkel.1
and has a website here Flugzeugabstürze Saarland und Umgebung Flugzeugarchäologie

We found about 30 lbs. of wreckage I am going to post pictures of some of it in the hope it can be identified.

Kurt Daussmann and I review a part that we found. Herr Daussmann visited the crash site as a 12 year old and acted as our local guide. He is an amazingly sprightly 81 years old.



Serial number







I'm open to suggestions as to what this is. It has shims still in place at one end. At the end of the piece is a revolving joint. My suggestion is that it holds the control surfaces.

 

The parts we found were separated by 1000 meters. Here is a part of the wing or fuselage. The force of the impact and following explosion has blasted this part away from the aircraft popping the retaining rivets.




Shrapnel damage can be seen

 

A great trip a great result.

Regards
Peter

 

Thats fantastic David and good for you, making that journey. I hope the parts can be identified.

 

Any old iron?



All of this went back to the UK with the exception of a very few pieces I bought back, Plexiglas and some bakelite electrical parts with numbers on them.

I had travelled light and had no provisions to carry large bits of metal or unexploded rounds, the Airport Authorities would have had a field day with me.

 

Hi, The ''bottle'' in front of the pile is a socalled ''baleout bottle''. the Bottle have oxygen for 10 mins walking through the aircraft.

Regards,
Adrian

 

Excellent topic, very nice and fascinating...
Concerning the identification of the wreck parts, I may suggest you this forum,

- Aero Part Identify Board - | Index

In spite of its popups, it's a worldwide reknown meeting point for researchers and experts. As you may see there are many topics concerning Lancaster's wreckages.

 

Hi, The ''bottle'' in front of the pile is a socalled ''baleout bottle''. the Bottle have oxygen for 10 mins walking through the aircraft.

Regards,
Adrian


Correct Adrian. Some more pictures of it.

 

Excellent topic, very nice and fascinating...
Concerning the identification of the wreck parts, I may suggest you this forum,

- Aero Part Identify Board - | Index

In spite of its popups, it's a worldwide reknown meeting point for researchers and experts. As you may see there are many topics concerning Lancaster's wreckages.

Thanks Marcos, I have registered and await their reply.

 

Fascinating, David.

 

I have determined that the first item displayed is an Elevator Hinge Bracket.

 

Yes, in effect it seems to match.
Just as a suggestion, you may show the images of the parts and ask for further information and identification at:

Luftfahrt-Archäologie in Schleswig-Holstein, an excellent site, they found some Lancasters, too (click on Absturzorte).

Welcome to Aviation Archaeology

British Aviation Archaeological Council and Midland aircraft recovery group, Warwickshire & Worcestershire aviation history, especially Mr. Mark Evans, he already helped me with the identification of "my" Vickers Wellington;

Aviation Archaeology

 

Back again after another trip to the crash site.
I would like the forums opinion as to what the artifact pictured is. I have my own opinion and would like confirmation.
No numbers are on this artifact that measures 5.25" x 3.25" approximately. The piece has a "handle" that attaches to it, on the underside of the "handle" are two "dimples" that in my opinion could house the end of a spring. Eleven holes are drilled into face of the larger piece, my thoughts are that they accepted rivets.
So what do you think? What is this part of Lancaster JA708?

 

amazing story, did you bring the remains home to the UK?

 

amazing story, did you bring the remains home to the UK?

As I live in the U.S. it was difficult to bring stuff home. The results from the first dig are in Peterborough, the findings of the second dig are in Germany but will be going to Peterborough by car in the future. When they are all together in England I will pick what I want to keep and the rest will go to museums.

The above piece I think is a brake pad but I would like clarification, does anyone have a picture of a Lancaster's braking mechanism?

The piece shown below seems to fit over the first item and is I think part of a brake shoe.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, I'm no photographer and would you believe we did not even take any pictures of our haul this time!

 

I have managed to trace one of the crew members family ( Beesley the bomb aimer) and gave them a piece of Plexiglas from the aircraft. I would like to do the same with the others, so if anyone knows the location of any of the family of the crew of JA708 they being F/O Fletcher, Sgt. Nelson, S/L Foster, S/L McKinna, Sgt. Page I would be grateful to know.

 

Dave,
Congratulations on your very successful field trips.

I find it wonderful that you have managed to locate the wreck of your late Fathers Lancaster.

I can only imagine how emotional it was for you finding parts of the plane.

Thank you for posting and I will keep looking at the posts to see if all is identified.

Regards
Tom

 

Sorry Dave didnt realise you lived over the pond