The excavation of WWII RAF bomber, Halifax LV881-ZA-V

IN REMEMBRANCE of all those who lost their lives during ‘The Nuremberg Raid’.

Abstract

This article outlines the preliminary results of archaeological fieldwork at the crash site of RAF Halifax bomber LV881-ZA-V and explores some of the challenges presented by the excavation of this military wartime crash site. The aircraft and her crew were shot down by a German night fighter in the early hours of 31 March 1944 during the infamous Nuremberg Raid. Four of her crew were killed and the remaining three were taken prisoner and later took part in the ‘Long March’. All three survived the war. An international team comprised of staff and students from Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK explored what remained of the crash site, located on a hill outside the village of Steinheim, north east of Frankfurt in the German Federal State of Hesse.

Keywords:

• Aviation archaeology
• Bomber Command
• crash site
• Halifax bomber
• Nuremberg
• RAF
• World War II

Acknowledgements

The remains of Halifax LV881-ZA-V were once a symbol of conflict between nations, but their legacy is now one of peace and reconciliation, forged through new friendships and a greater understanding of our shared wartime heritage. The organisers of the Summer Academy would like to thank the town of Hungen, the villagers of Steinheim as well as all the associations and local businesses who have provided invaluable support to the project. The authors would also like to extend their thanks to Ann Bihan of 10 Squadron Association for her research on the crew and their families. We are grateful for the support of RAF 10 Squadron Association and to members of RAF 10 Squadron and the Bundeswehr of the Federal State of Hesse for attending the memorial ceremony in 2015. Finally, we would like to sincerely thank all the relatives of the crew of LV881 who have embraced our project and supported it throughout.

Notes

IN REMEMBRANCE of all those who lost their lives during ‘The Nuremberg Raid’.

1. H2S was an early ground mapping radar system to be used in combat. It aided night time navigation and bombing.

2. These figures are derived from Middlebrook (2003) and his chapter, The Cost (274–281). The losses during the raid can be broken down in various ways and include aircraft damaged beyond repair or crashed during take-off or landing, but the figure of 95 in this case refers to aircraft listed as ‘missing’.