It was hoped that at least one aircraft from the Battle of
France period could be found. Paris based researcher Jean-Michel
Goyat arranged with the authorities of the small town of Lubey
to investigate the possibility that parts of one of the first
aircraft German aircraft to be brought down in WW2 might be
buried – under the main street through the village!
Peter Ayerst, a fellow 73 Squadron Hurricane pilot who had
flown with ‘Cobber’ Kain, had visited this very
crash and was able to make the return trip 70 years later.
The reconnaissance Do17 had been widely reported in British
press, these photos would be the only way to locate the site
beneath the tarmac. It proved surprisingly difficult to line-up
the photographs with the buildings in the background –
even though they had changed little. Fortunately the authorities
were more than accommodating and provided a huge excavator
that smashed through the road surface; then the pavement and
the drains! This time luck deserted the team and little could
be found; it had been removed post-war when modern sewage
and drainage was laid in the road.
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‘Cobber’ Kain visits the crash site of the
Do17 at Lubey. Several photographers and the British
Pathe newsreel recorded the incident; this rare piece
of silent film was taken at Lubey just after the crash. |
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The unfortunate crew L-R .Obergefreiter Heinrich
Schneidmüller (Gunner). Oberleutnant Hans Kutter
(Observer). Oberfeldwebel Georg Stühler (Pilot).
For more details and Kain's combat report follow this
link |
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The Dornier plunged vertically into the main street
of Lubey village, but remarkably missed the houses that
only suffered 'blast' damage, even though only metres
away. |
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The same view today is little changed - so it should
be easy to line-up the picture! |
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The French authorities could not have been more helpful,
the police organising traffic diversions and the local
authority contractors the heavy machinery.
So if we dig here ...
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Some time later - or it might be here.
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Decision made and the digger driver uses a giant
tooth to break-up the road surface. In 1939 the road
was not surfaced with tarmac.
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Jules Hudson takes a break for a bit of posing.
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OK, so it wasn't there - let's make the hole bigger.
But a Dornier was a big 'plane and the engines some
metres apart.
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Finally the main impact point for one engine was
identified much closer to the houses than anyone could
have judged from the photos. Unfortunately the bulk
of the wreckage had been removed when mains drainage
was installed in the 1960s.
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Hurricane pilot Peter Ayerst, who flew with Kain
during the Battle of France with the children of the
local school only metres from the crash site.
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Most of the team had been together for all four digs
in this series and gather for an end of filming meal.
L-R Jean-Michel, Philippa, Ian, Peter Ayerst, Simon, Gareth,
Jeff and Big Phil. No idea where Steve went to .. |
