One of the recoveries organised by Gareth Jones and his team
in 2009 had an unexpected result. Several people had searched
for the Spitfire at Wynford Eagle, but very little had been
found. New detecting equipment was used that revealed that
something might be buried - no one imagined that the complete
propeller assembly had been left behind.
Michael Staples was badly burned when he was shot down. He
returned to flying, this time with 604 Squadron, but was killed
in a flying accident at night on 9 November 1941.
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Pilot Officer Staples, who baled out of N3231. |
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The crash site was eventually located in overgrown
land near a stream, where a dig began by hand. |
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Surveys indicated that something had been left behind
in 1940, but whatever it was it was buried too deep
to reach by hand. |
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dived vertically into boggy ground with its engine stopped.
Although the wreckage was cleared and the Merlin recovered,
the propeller hub and blades had broken off and were left
behind. |
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The complete propeller, with yellow tips, came to
the surface after two days of digging.
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At the very front the hub the De Haviland badge survived. |
