One of the very first crash sites I ever visited was that of a 316 Squadron Mustang III, Serial No. SR411 in the early 1980s and one of our earliest finds was a heavily corroded .50 Browning. However, the gun was a bit of a mystery, being found just below the surface in a shallow gully bordering a footpath some 200 – 300 yards from the impact site – It was on its own with no mounting brackets or even bolts still attached and the breech cover had been removed and was found nearby wrapped in what appeared to be the remains of sacking material.

Several years later the gun (officially declared no longer a firearm after police inspection) was one of a number of artefacts placed on display at a local library. The display proved particularly successful, in that several witnesses to the immediate aftermath of the crash came forward. After a long chat with one individual, he opened up and related how soon after the crash he had returned to the site, with some tools whilst it temporarily unguarded – apparently those detailed to stand guard had retired to a local pub!. Together with a couple of friends, they removed a machine gun from one of the wings, which were laying relatively intact on the surface. Not wanting to risk a meeting with the returning guards on the only access track whilst carrying their booty, they hid the gun in a ditch some distance away, intending to return for it once the authorities had left. However, shortly afterwards the friends apparently had a run-in with the law over some questionable rabbit hunting and they lost their nerve and never returned for it!