Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology have embarked on a poignant mission, delving into the dense woodlands of eastern England to excavate the crash site of a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.
This aircraft, a symbol of American air power during World War II, met its fate in 1944 when its controls failed, causing it to plummet into the English countryside. The pilot, whose identity remains undisclosed, was declared Missing in Action (MIA) as the aircraft erupted into flames upon impact.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense dedicated to recovering missing service members, has enlisted the expertise of Cotswold Archaeology in this endeavor.
Rosanna Price, a spokeswoman for Cotswold Archaeology, expressed the team’s determination to honor the memory of the fallen pilot and provide closure to his surviving relatives. She said, “They are still trying to adhere to that promise of ‘no man left behind,’ That’s quite powerful to us.”
The excavation presents formidable challenges, with the crash crater submerged in water and obscured by decades of sediment and overgrowth. Despite these obstacles, the team is undeterred, employing meticulous techniques to sift through the soil in search of crucial artifacts and human remains. The significance of their mission is underscored by the words of the team members, acknowledging the near-impossible nature of their task yet steadfast in their resolve to persevere.
The B-17 Flying Fortress, a stalwart of American air campaigns in Europe, symbolizes the bravery and sacrifice of thousands of service members who fought during World War II. Loaded with 12,000 pounds of Torpex explosives, the bomber played a pivotal role in strategic bombing missions, targeting German industrial complexes vital to the war effort. Its wreckage now serves as a somber reminder of the perils faced by those who served in the air.
The excavation in England is just one piece of a larger puzzle, as efforts to recover missing airmen extend across Europe and Southeast Asia. Similar efforts are underway in Normandy, France, where a team from the DPAA is searching for three missing airmen whose aircraft was downed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
