Dig 1940

Good story!

Yeah, fair enough – but being from Yorkshire is nearly English..

The Kain footage was basically while he was at home (I can’t recall if it was in NZ before he went to England, or later at his UK home) – he’s out of uniform and kind of goofing around in the garden. I got the feeling the family probably had more footage thjan they used but it was surplus to requirements i guess as they were trying to cover all of NZ’s war effort, it wasn’t specifically about him. I assume it’s probably in the National Film Archive now, hopefully.

As for Sir Ed, his grandparents were from Yorkshire so I guess the Yorkies can claim him. My grandparents knew him personally, before Everest, as he and his brother kept bees on their farm. When I was a kid something came on TV about his many amazing feats, and my Nana scoffed and said “Ah, he was only a bloody old bee keeper” like nothing subsequent to that ever happened in his life, or almost as if she ould have done better if she’d put her mind to it. It was funny at the time though Nana never saw the joke, and I still think of her off-hand remark whenever I think of Sir Ed, only a bloody old bee keeper. 🙂

I guess Willie Rhodes-Moorhouse must therefore be a quarter New Zealander. Can we claim him?

If we can have Edmund Hillary by the same logic! 😉

It wasn’t his aircraft – Fighterace can give more info as to the background to the Hurricane that was dug than my patchy post New-Year memory can provide..

That Kain footage sounds interesting!

Thanks Clint but I cannot get BBC iPlayer to work here in NZ.

Thanks Beermat. I guess Willie Rhodes-Moorhouse must therefore be a quarter New Zealander. Can we claim him? What was the connection with the programme, were they digging up his aircraft/one he’d shot down?

The coloured film definately adds a whole breath of new life doesn’t it. I really enjoyed the series The Colour Of War, narrated first by John Thaw, then John Hurt after Thaw’s death, and the last one we saw was The Colour of War: The Anzacs narrated by Russell Crowe which had coloured NZ and Australian 1930’s and 40’s footage, really remarkable to see.

A couple of other coloured films that come to mind as remarkable include some coloured footage of Cobber Kain that his sister had; the excellent film The Fighting Lady about an American carrier in the Pacific, and I picked up some home movie converted to DVD that showed wartime parades in Christchurch, NZ, in colour showing Army, Navy, RNZAF, home front services and even the famous Semple Tank parading through the city. There’s a load of 1950’s bike racing and car racing, etc on the same discs, plus some actual footage in colour of John Smith running the engines on his Mosquito at Mapua.

Dave – yes, he was Willie Rhodes Moorhouse’s son.

The shots aired were of William, his squadron mates, some Hurricanes, and his Brother in law with a Blenheim. Also some personal footage of his wife and off-duty moments, IIRC. The stunning thing about it was the immediacy and intimacy that high-quality colour film (of an era and subject that we are so conditioned to seeing in monochrome) brings to the story of the Rhodes Moorhouse family.

From what Tangmere says on here there is a lot more that was not shown, that might be of more specialist interest to some of us on here!

I really do hope that you get a chance to see it sometime.

Dave the 3rd episode of Dig 1940 is still listed on BBC Iplayer Here
Sorry but the 2 previous episodes appear to be no longer available? Hopefully you will be able to watch this in NZ unless the BBC IPlayer does not allow for outside of UK viewing? 🙂

Nice painting, as always, Mark! I must talk to you about my “commission” we chatted about briefly over that pint.

What a pity that photos of the crash site in 1941, and the amazing pics of the very Heinkel and its crew, were not included. It would have brought that section much more to life. (Just an observation – not a criticism of John Hayes-Fisher’s excellent production btw!) Also….I thought Ed Crew’s son was present? Was he the ‘Chris’ who appeared briefly but then who was not otherwise introduced, Gareth?

Andy, that was Chris reeding the landowner. Edward crews son was on the dig with us, together with his fathers log book, medals and photos which were very nice to see, will try and find the photographs of the collection. Off memory he was partly awarded his DFC for shooting down this heinkel

Certainly all the hours of unseen footage would made a great documentry in its own right

Gareth

I have been reading this thread just now for the first time, with a lot of curiosity. I have a few questions:

– Is this Willie Rhodes-Moorhouse that is being written about some sort of relation to William Rhodes-Moorhouse VC, a part-New Zealander who was the first airman to win the Victoria Cross?

– What do these colour films everyone is talking about actually depict?

– Someone mentioned this series features a Dornier shot down by New Zealand Eddie “Cobber” Kain, is that right?

I would love to see this series but being in NZ there’s pretty much no way I’ll get to see it I guess. It sounds fantastic from what people have written here.

One last question for Andy, I was rewatching your excellent documentary Who Downed Douglas Bader the other night (someone kindly sent me a copy on DVD), and I have been wondering after that went to air, have you been given or unearthed any further evidence of where Bader’s aircrfat actually is? Or are there any plans to investicate that pond further? Or is it now a closed case? I really enjoyed that doco, great viewing and very interesting research.

Nice painting, as always, Mark! I must talk to you about my “commission” we chatted about briefly over that pint.

What a pity that photos of the crash site in 1941, and the amazing pics of the very Heinkel and its crew, were not included. It would have brought that section much more to life. (Just an observation – not a criticism of John Hayes-Fisher’s excellent production btw!) Also….I thought Ed Crew’s son was present? Was he the ‘Chris’ who appeared briefly but then who was not otherwise introduced, Gareth?

Couldn’t resist painting it after helping dig it up, thanks Gareth!

MP

Alan,

Sadly in any programme time is limited, its a great shame that more of the heinkel was not shown, crew photos combat reports and eye witness to the crash and Edward crews log book are just some of what was missing

In all a very interesting mini series with huge public interest generating almost 5 million viewers on the opening programme alone, for me the prize in the series was the Rhodes moorhouse story and colour video footage which was stunning. Good to see the BBC investing in some quality television rather that junk that viewers get drilling into watching.

Luck was on our side with the aircraft digs, its not common these days you get the chance to recover aircraft sites with that history and archive footage to hand of both Pilot and crash scene, the Lubey dornier was a fine example of this. The aircraft digs were just a part in the great series, but to answer your previous comment with the title Dig 1940 yes you had to dig somthing up even if it looked as if we had a Hymac following closly behind, yes many permissions needed to be granted as you know but thats not good television, infact the hurricane took me 12 months to arrange and seek all the permissions but the TV programme helped oil the wheels, otherwise it never would have happened mainly due to costly enviromental procedures which is the main reason it was still there. The control column was a very fitting find to the Battle of Britain programme and likely to be many years before another is found on television again, thanks for this must go to the Ilchester Estate and warden who helped make it all happen

I am sure I could find a few exhibits for Midsomer Norton if they so wished, however i would have though that more local sites would have been of the greater interest such as the Me110 or even the Mosquito at Ston Easton, let me know and will see what i can sort out.

Alan yes the finds were almost perfect, infact you could see you face in the crank shaft when it was washed off. The other engine punched its was through into the peat layer finally being recovered from 32ft below ground which obviously was the engine hit during the beaufighter attack. I will try and post a few photos of the recovered items after cleaning.

For all those interested a lovely painting of the heinkel being shot down is out in print now! “The Hewish Heinkel by Mark Postlethwaite”

Tell her to take anti-depressants first.

Sorry Hull, I know it isn’t your fault, first the Luftwaffe then the town planners and then the end of fishing & industry, not to mention two Jags.

Now on to the programme, it was a good mix of early war events. But, and there is always one. What happened to the crew of the He111? I know it is on Simon Parry’s site but it should have been at least mentioned that 3 crew got out and were taken prisoner and 2 were killed. Also it could have been made clear that it wasn’t a 1940 crash (the only real clue being it was shot down by a Beaufighter rather than Defiant or did I miss the date).

Interesting that more than one tag came out with the Werk Number on it, the other (in the programme) looked like it had more detail than the one on Simon’s site or is just the fact it actually said Heinkel that it was the example.

How complete was the less bent engine once the mud was cleaned off it? It looks to be in good condition, certainly an excellent display item.

Don’t worry – it’ll be on the iPlayer. It was good – the wife now wants to visit Hull…!

Darn missed it tonight, is it repeated?

The crash was at Hewish, I think Allan White may still have the cap
Ian

No, it was sold-on some years ago and eventually passed through my hands as it happens. It is now with another private collector which is where it still is.

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[ATTACH]191277[/ATTACH] Not wishing to deviate from the thread..but a great place to display any `spare` crash bits from the HE111 (please ignore the `Urchins`.

The crash was at Hewish, I think Allan White may still have the cap
Ian

Sorry Mackeral saw `Steve` on I.O.W and guessed wrong…Interesting programme tonight..where in Somerset was it?,and which `local museum` will be displaying bits?
Our Local Railway museum `Midsomer Norton` has an excellent Pillbox crammed with stuff,I`m sure they would be interested in and bits to display.Anyone know what happened to the German Forage Cap from the ME110 crash in Haydon..owned by Kate Whitcombe of Kilmersdon?

Set to Record in HD and the series will be kept 🙂

Dig 1940 last one

Hi
Just a heads up to say the last one in at 19.30 tonight.