Recovery Digs and Restoration
One of the main activities FAWNAPS members take part in is the long and ardous task of aircraft recovery from crash sites throughout East Anglia. The majority of the project digs have taken place around the West Norfolk and Fenland areas.
The task is set upon with gusto by the members, all keen to see and work on an aircraft that may have been buried for over sixty years after suffering an impact into the ground Some of our aircraft have been recovered from the sea.
Permission for a dig to take place is often given after several months or years of negotiation with the Royal Air Force (MoD) and landowners and of course hundreds of hours of research into the exact location of the crash site. When the crash site is located by use of metal detectors, historical facts and records and local knowledge, the dig may take place over several days, depending on weather conditions, ground conditions, logistics and manpower.
Once this has come to fruition and a license is granted to dig the team will set to work with great gusto after receiving a briefing and instructions from the dig supervisor. Present at this briefing will be the dig safety officer, a FAWNAPS armourer, equipment specialists and the research officer along with eager and willing FAWNAPS members.
When the aircrraft is located, the area is made secure and the dig takes place. Items that are recovered are carefully sifted, any armour or weapons found would be inspected and made safe (if possible) by our armourer and then handed to the local police (normally returned to FAWNAPS for display).
The other items would have a cursory clean and then be placed in a trailer ready to be catalogued and later transported to the museum site for storage and restoration/preservation and ultimately displayed in the museum.