"His memory lives on": Archaeologists excavate World War II pilot's Spitfire after 75 years

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Archaeologists say the memory of World War Two pilot Harold Penketh lives on following the excavation of his plane

Archaeologists say the condition of the artefacts recovered during the high-profile excavation of a World War II spitfire crashed by a popular pilot in 1940 has surprised them after finding the nose cone, oxygen tank and propeller of the X4593 plane in a Cambridgeshire field.

Experts filled in the hole which had contained the remains of Harold Penketh’s aircraft on Saturday, two days after a Battle of Britain memorial flight was held over the Flag Fen site.

Stephen Macauley, the Project Director for Oxford Archaeology East, described the remembrance event for Penketh – a member of the 266 Rhodesian Squadron RF - as “very poignant”.

“We hoped that because the Spitfire crashed in peat soil that the artefacts would be well-preserved,” he said.

“But the condition of many the finds, including the headrest, oxygen tank and pilot’s helmet were beyond our expectations.

“We were honoured to mark Harold Penketh's life and contribution.”

The finds are now being processed, cleaned and sorted.

"The excavation has proved fruitful and highly symbolic for our Fenland heritage,” said Kate Carver, the manager of the Great Fen project.

“All the teams have worked wonderfully well together with a strong sense of camaraderie which will stay with us for a long time.

“The memory of Harold Penketh now lives on in a far more tangible way."

• Visit greatfen.org.uk for more.

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RAF Manston Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, Ramsgate
Splendid and original examples of the two World War Two fighter aircraft which served the Royal Air Force so well in so many areas of battle both at home and overseas. The Memorial Building is situated on one of the very few surviving airfields which participated in the Battle of Britain.

Royal Air Force Museum, London
Climb inside the Spitfire MK16 and take the pilot’s seat, learn about the aircraft and see what it would have been like to fly a Spitfire in The Spitfire Experience, at the RAF Museum until October 25 2015.

IWM Duxford
Featuring more than 30 iconic aircraft, including Concorde and the Spitfire, the permanent exhibition, AirSpace, tells the story of aviation in Britain and the Commonwealth.

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art539169-world-war-two-spitfire-propeller-nose-cone-engine-great-fen