Just looking at some dug Hurricane bits and curious about these and where on the aircraft they came from, if anyone can help
The concertina bit is stainless. The L shape looks like Bakelite and is strange, the flat pieces look on the reverse like they may have been originally folded down the middle to an angle, but have been flattened out by impact.
By: Jim C - 13th August 2014 at 23:13
As you probably know, Sgt John McVay is buried in Ware New Cemetery alongside two other Hunsdon airmen, Canadians Sgt Donald McCullough and Flt Sgt Clinton Chute.
I was in touch with a relative of Sgt McVay’s in New Zealand when researching the Roll of Honour Memorial.
Do you plan to display the parts you found?
By: Denis - 13th August 2014 at 20:04
Oh believe me I know and understand 🙂
I have known of this aircraft and its location for a long long time. I did make enquiries to the (then?) landowner many many moons ago but he flatly refused anyone to dig it. The saddest thing is I drove past as you were digging and knew that whoever it was was after the Hurricane, but being at work and in a very large vehicle I could not stop !
Am always interested in Hunsdon based aircraft, If you ever do another one drop me a PM!!
By: Junk Collector - 13th August 2014 at 18:58
Sorry to hear about that Denis, but we are unable due to previous problems to advertise these things, partly due to control of people on site for Health and Safety and sadly I have had experience of a site location that had been researched and found, maliciously passed to another group, resulting in the site being visited prior to us going to carry out our excavation, luckily for us they could not find it or we would have lost it. The search for these crash sites represent a great deal of effort. A good mix of items were found from the rear cockpit area forward.
Owing to moisture in my camera I have at present few pictures but a couple I do have from early on show the progress.
By: Denis - 12th August 2014 at 22:58
The aircraft in question was from Hunsdon, and the pilot is remembered on the RAF Hunsdon Roll Of Honour.
Wish I had been involved in this !
By: Foray - 12th August 2014 at 21:51
What else did you find?
By: Junk Collector - 12th August 2014 at 20:27
I can now say the identity of the Hurricane was Hurricane IIC Z3916, 3 Squadron, The report at the time stated, On 7th December 1941 returning in snow showers and thick cloud at 1810, the aircraft dived into the ground. Sadly the Pilot, Plt Officer John Douglas McVay RNZAF was killed while returning from an operational sortie
Today the site was successfully excavated under a licence issued by the Ministry Of Defence.
Having been involved previously on digs on Hurricanes most seemed to end up being marred, for very strange reasons out of my control. This was a very pleasant change, being carried out by a small dedicated team.
By: Junk Collector - 11th August 2014 at 09:10
Thank you one and all, still puzzled about the L shaped bakelite
By: Rocketeer - 11th August 2014 at 02:36
yes….canopy parts. The concertina part is from the canopy part where the locking pin goes in and stops the canopy sliding forwards or backwards
By: Fouga23 - 10th August 2014 at 12:28
Bakelite piece = front of undercarriage indicator?
*edit* Nevermind, I was thinking of the spitfire type indicator
By: Foray - 10th August 2014 at 12:16
Nothing comes to mind, but the photo is not very clear to show any detail.
By: Junk Collector - 10th August 2014 at 09:08
Curioud what is the L shaped bakelite bit for ?
The id of the aircraft is known but for the moment I am not keen to yet reveal
By: Foray - 9th August 2014 at 23:16
Looks like cockpit canopy fragments. Is the Hurricane id known?
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August 9, 2014 at 8:24 pm