- 5 hours ago
Sandi Toksvig's Hidden Wonders - Season 1 Episode 4 -
Essex
Essex
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Here at Cambridge University with dreams of becoming a great archaeologist.
00:06With a degree in archaeology and anthropology in hand, my career path seemed set.
00:13Some of you may realise I got a little sidetracked, but I have never lost my passion for the secrets and treasures which lie buried beneath our feet.
00:22So now, some years later, I'm dusting off my trowel and embarking on an epic archaeological adventure across Britain.
00:33Do you know what the Latin for hangover is?
00:36What?
00:36Crapula.
00:38I'll be joined by my friend and expert in the field, Raksha Dave.
00:42I'm so, so happy for you.
00:44Together, we'll work alongside the teams of experts and volunteers at some of the nation's most fascinating dig sites.
00:52Raksha, look at this. It's like the moon.
00:55Welcome to the Iron Age.
00:56Oh, I've got a shiver. I've got a proper shiver.
00:59On a mission to reveal hidden wonders that could rewrite our history.
01:04Oh, look.
01:05Oh, my God.
01:06Hey, look at this.
01:09This week, we're in Essex for our most extraordinary dig yet.
01:13What is that there, darling?
01:15Looks like a .50 caliber casing.
01:17Oh, ho, ho.
01:18Unearthing the wreckage of a World War II American fighter plane.
01:22The tiniest piece can just tell us so much.
01:25Absolutely.
01:26Searching for clues and artifacts that could identify its pilot.
01:30We're getting closer to Leicester.
01:32Yeah.
01:34And piecing together the powerful untold story of a young man who never made it home.
01:43Welcome to Essex, one of my favorite counties.
01:51And I know we're here to do World War II.
01:54Yeah.
01:54That's all I know.
01:55But I have brought you a little present in that regard.
01:57So if you have a look in the glove compartment,
01:59this is something that we found by metal detecting in the meadow by our house.
02:04Oh, do you know what?
02:05I'm loving your finds, Bag.
02:06Thank you very much.
02:07It sometimes has salami in it.
02:09Oh, wow.
02:10Yeah.
02:11That is a wow.
02:12It's a Spitfire casing.
02:14That's very special.
02:15It's very cool.
02:16And the Spitfire, that is the iconic plane of the Second World War.
02:21Our mission is taking us to the outskirts of Great Bardfield,
02:26quiet village just north of Braintree.
02:28We're going back over 80 years to World War II,
02:31a time when the flatlands of East Anglia
02:34were home to over 100 American and RAF airbases.
02:38It's early 1944,
02:40and American forces have amassed in Britain
02:42to join the fight against fascism in Europe.
02:45D-Day is just around the corner,
02:47but the Allies must first join forces in a massive bombing campaign
02:52designed to destroy the Luftwaffe
02:54and take control of Europe's skies.
02:57The skies would have been absolutely awash with planes in 43, 44 in this area.
03:04And it's one of those planes that brings us here today.
03:07We're actually here on a very special mission.
03:10OK.
03:11We're here to recover the remains and the aircraft
03:15of Second Lieutenant Lester Lowry.
03:18So, you say lieutenant, not lieutenant, which means he's an American?
03:21He's an American.
03:23It's a very sad story.
03:25He's a very, very young chap, 23 years old.
03:28During training, his plane crashed in a field.
03:31Oh, wow. OK.
03:34Wow, so, responsibility.
03:35In January 1944, Second Lieutenant Lester Lowry
03:42was transferred to Bodney Air Base in Norfolk,
03:44assigned to the 487th Squadron,
03:47an 8th Air Force fighter unit
03:49accompanying bombers in their campaign against the Luftwaffe.
03:53Just 20 days later, on the 26th of January,
03:57he took off in a P-47 Thunderbolt
03:59with three other pilots on a training exercise.
04:01But just minutes later, he tragically crashed in these fields.
04:08He's one of more than 15,000 US Army Air Force personnel
04:12killed in training during World War II,
04:15and his body was never recovered.
04:18Here we are.
04:19Wow.
04:20This is the field where Lester's plane went down.
04:23I know, but look at it today.
04:25It's blue sky and it's beautiful golden light,
04:28and it was so, I don't know, innocuous now, doesn't it?
04:30It seems bucolic and lovely.
04:32And you can imagine, can't you?
04:33All of the people living in that village
04:35would have seen him go down.
04:37This is a war grave.
04:40We need to find out what happened to Lester's plane
04:42and how it crashed.
04:44It's that. I want to know the detail.
04:45I want to know exactly what happened.
04:47Why did it happen?
04:48Why did this young man lose his life, 23 years old?
04:51And then, wouldn't it be amazing to send him home?
04:54The digs' mission is to find identifying parts
04:59of the crashed P-47 plane
05:00and uncover any evidence of Lowry
05:03in the hope of repatriating him.
05:06Cotswold Archaeology are leading the search
05:09on behalf of the US Department of Defense's
05:11Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Accounting Agency.
05:15With the help of volunteers,
05:16the team hope to locate and recover
05:18any evidence relating to Lester and his plane.
05:21After scientifically mapping 540 square metres of farmland,
05:27they're focusing their dig on this spot,
05:30where they believe the P-47 crashed.
05:34Sandy, this is Sam Wilson.
05:36Hi, Sam. Nice to meet you, Sandy.
05:38OK, let's do the basics, shall we?
05:40What do we know about the site?
05:41Well, we know on the 26th of January 1944,
05:44P-47 crashed right here.
05:47We think it came down vertically or near vertical,
05:51and it's essentially created a big impact crater,
05:54partly I'm stood in it at the moment.
05:56How far down might it have gone?
05:58That's a great question.
06:00Two, three, four, five metres, perhaps?
06:03We don't know at this point.
06:04But bits have gone everywhere.
06:05Yeah, so it's really hard ground here,
06:07so I think with the momentum of the aircraft,
06:10a lot would have scattered around in the wider area.
06:13So a plane coming in at that speed,
06:14there's going to be fire?
06:16Yes, yeah, we know that the plane burned
06:18for about two days afterwards,
06:19and the photos they actually took in the immediate aftermath,
06:22you can see smoke billowing out of the crater,
06:24and that would have made it quite dangerous
06:25to actually get near it.
06:27Oh, right, so is there other things
06:28that we should be particularly concerned about
06:30while we're digging here?
06:31Yes, I mean, the main thing is
06:33we know that the aircraft was armed when it went down,
06:35so that's what we've got to be very mindful
06:37of looking out for when we're digging around in here.
06:39What is the likelihood of us finding
06:41any of Lowry's remains?
06:42I think, because we've got quite a concentrated area,
06:45we've got a crater that we're targeting.
06:46I think it's reasonably likely
06:48they should be contained within the crater,
06:50or that's at least our hope.
06:52But we have to remember, of course,
06:53we're not looking for a complete skeleton
06:54or anything like that.
06:55Unfortunately, the bone will be very, very fragmented.
06:58I'd better come and help dig.
06:59That would be lovely if you want to.
07:01No, I'm going to go and try and see
07:02if I can see any metal scatter.
07:05I'll do the heavy work, that's what's happening.
07:07The team are trying to establish the size of the crater,
07:10but more importantly, find any evidence
07:13that links to the cockpit, and so to Leicester.
07:16OK, so what am I doing?
07:16I would be with a trowel or with a spade?
07:18It's going to be heavy work, I'm afraid,
07:20with the spade and the shovel.
07:21So if you want to grab that...
07:24It's very, very hard ground,
07:28but with every swing,
07:30you can see I'm kind of levering it away there.
07:33That's where we're keeping an eye out for,
07:35obviously, any ammunition that might come out,
07:37but also bits of bone.
07:38All of this will be sieved?
07:39All of this will be sieved.
07:41It may look like manual labour,
07:43but it's a forensic operation.
07:45The team has divided this area into a grid,
07:47and as each section of the grid is dug out,
07:50it's formed into its own spoil heap.
07:53Each spoil heap is then carefully sieved for evidence.
07:57All of this chunky stuff gets broken down.
08:00We soak it in water overnight to help that process.
08:03We then sieve it,
08:04goes through very, very fine mesh,
08:06and we're looking for those tiny, tiny fragments.
08:08The tiniest part could hold a serial number
08:10and the diagnostic link
08:12that the team needs to confirm Leicester's P-47.
08:17This American fighter plane accompanied bombers
08:19on sorties over Europe.
08:21It carried a terrifying array of weapons
08:23and could withstand punishing damage.
08:26It was a titan in the fight against fascism.
08:32Today, the team are searching across a wide area
08:35for fragments of the crashed plane.
08:38Hello, Clive.
08:39Hello, Rachel.
08:40Clive is part of the metal detecting team
08:42tasked with recording the spread of the crash.
08:45What we're trying to do is find out where the debris field is.
08:49Wherever we dig it up, we plot the position.
08:51And then you can just create this picture, can't you,
08:53of those final moments of when it happened?
08:56Exactly.
08:57Well, I'd love to have a go.
08:58Come on, then.
09:00And go left to right,
09:01and we're looking for the larger, noisier signals.
09:05You're a volunteer, aren't you?
09:07I am, yes.
09:08So why do you do it?
09:09Because I love it.
09:10This is the third one that I've done.
09:12And have you found anything significant in the past?
09:14On one of the previous digs,
09:16I was lucky enough to find a dog tag.
09:18Wow.
09:19So it can be done.
09:21And how did that make you feel?
09:23It's quite emotional, digging something like that.
09:26It was a very moving find, I'd say.
09:29Pretty mind-blowing that you've actually found that.
09:32Oh.
09:33Oh, you've got something there.
09:35It is a distinct sound, isn't it?
09:37That's the sort of thing we're looking for,
09:39big signals, big chunky signals.
09:41All right, well, shall we see what it is, then?
09:44Mm-hmm.
09:49There we go.
09:50Oh, good grief.
09:52Part of the plane.
09:54It's white, and we know the nose of the aircraft was white,
09:58so that possibly could be from the cowling around the engine.
10:01How amazing is that, though?
10:04Very hard metal, but it's mangled up.
10:08You can actually see the force.
10:09So we put a flag in there.
10:12The amount of data that is being collected on this field
10:17to tell us exactly what happened on that day.
10:21It's a massive job, isn't it?
10:22It is a big job.
10:23Keep on going forward.
10:25Head on that way, yeah.
10:25OK.
10:26Keep going.
10:28Raksha's find will be recorded and analysed.
10:31One tiny piece could be that crucial clue
10:33that identifies Leicester's plane.
10:35Ah, here we go.
10:36Look, here's a little bit.
10:37It's not much, but it's a small piece of aluminium.
10:47So, you remember you said about bullets and possible...
10:50Yes.
10:51What is that there, Danny?
10:55It's that.
10:56What's that?
10:56That looks like a .50 calibre casing.
10:59Oh, suddenly, slight fear, very slight fear.
11:02What do I do to...
11:03Oh, you, do you want to do it, Danny?
11:04So, yeah, we can do it together.
11:07I mean, look there, Sam.
11:08You can really see where it's exploded, can't you?
11:11You can see the metal has moved.
11:13Yes, absolutely.
11:13So, that's what we call cooked off.
11:15Right.
11:15So, that's basically been in the fire
11:17and the propellant in there has exploded as a result of the fire.
11:21I don't want to make it explode.
11:24There we go.
11:25You can see that iron thing there.
11:29That's actually part of the linkage,
11:31the machine gun belt that linked it all together.
11:34Wow.
11:35I mean, it's tiny, but in a way,
11:37it's a sort of, I don't know,
11:39like a metal symbol of the whole thing.
11:41There's the violence of it.
11:42There's all the metal that got crushed.
11:45It's incredible.
11:47Yeah, it is.
11:47And, most importantly,
11:48it's from an aircraft, a P-47,
11:50so we know we're in the right spot.
11:52It's a little shiver.
11:53Let's give me a little shiver.
11:54In an Essex field,
12:07more debris is emerging
12:08from the crash site of a World War II P-47 Thunderbolt.
12:13The team are focused on what they believe
12:15is the epicentre of the impact,
12:17hoping to uncover evidence
12:19that could identify the pilot,
12:212nd Lieutenant Lester Lowry.
12:24And they're sifting through tonnes of clay
12:27in the search for the smallest of clues.
12:32Right, I've come to help.
12:34Yes.
12:35OK.
12:35Hello.
12:36What needs doing?
12:37Well, we'd like to get you on some sieving, please.
12:39OK, so I sort of feel
12:40the thing we're looking for
12:42when we're looking for Lowry
12:43is like a needle in a haystack, isn't it?
12:44Yeah.
12:45This is a catastrophic incident,
12:46this kind of aircraft crash.
12:48We're not looking for
12:50a sort of beautifully laid-out Anglo-Saxon burial here.
12:53This is more of a forensic and meticulous site.
12:56We're looking for
12:57small fragments
13:00of what we call osseous material,
13:02human remains, bone material.
13:05I'm going to show you some examples
13:07out of respect to
13:08any deceased individual.
13:10These are actually animal remains.
13:11and you'll be able to see
13:13the sort of size
13:14that you'll need to be spotting
13:16in the sieves.
13:17Gosh, yeah.
13:18I mean, you can see it's bone straight away,
13:19isn't it, when you look?
13:20You've got that smooth side
13:21and then that sort of pitted thing.
13:23But this is just livestock?
13:25Yes, this is just livestock.
13:26This is just as an example for people.
13:27So even if I do find animal bone,
13:29and it's clearly animal bone,
13:30do I keep it?
13:31Yes, please.
13:32We need you to keep
13:32absolutely everything
13:33that looks like bone material.
13:34Right.
13:35That will be collected,
13:37properly processed by us.
13:39Yeah.
13:39And then it's respectfully repatriated
13:41back to America
13:42with a flag over the remains
13:44just in case it is human.
13:45Everything is treated as human
13:46until we know otherwise.
13:48And it will go to the DPAA lab
13:50in Nebraska
13:50where they will properly process that
13:52and analyse it.
13:53The DPAA is an American government agency.
13:55It's the Department for Prisoners of War
13:57and Missing in Action Accounting Agency.
14:00Gosh.
14:00And they have a kind of humanitarian mission
14:02of no man left behind,
14:03which is what you see in action
14:04right now.
14:05And that's what's happening here?
14:06Yeah.
14:06Is this the only place
14:07in the UK that it's happening?
14:08It's not.
14:09The DPAA have around
14:111,200 missing in action
14:13conflict casualties in the UK
14:15and around 470 to 500 of those
14:19they're looking to recover.
14:21I mean, that would be extraordinary,
14:22wouldn't it?
14:23Yeah.
14:23So what's the Holy Grail?
14:24The Holy Grail is, I mean, awful,
14:27but would be to find
14:28some small remain of Lester Lowry.
14:31Yeah, absolutely.
14:32Because whilst this looks
14:33like a tiny fragment,
14:34this represents a whole man
14:36and a whole life.
14:37Yeah.
14:37And that's what we're here for.
14:38Okay.
14:39Well, I'd like to help if I may.
14:40Yeah, absolutely.
14:41This way.
14:41Let's learn to sieve.
14:45We're sieving through tonnes of earth
14:47to find any bone fragments
14:49or plain debris.
14:49The attempt to repatriate a fallen serviceman
14:52resonates with volunteers across the dig,
14:55many of whom are former
14:56and active military service members.
15:00Some are part of a programme
15:01called Operation Nightingale,
15:03which uses archaeological fieldwork
15:05to help veterans
15:06who have been wounded during service.
15:08Veterans like Sean.
15:09Okay, before we start, Sean,
15:11some basics.
15:12Basically, this is the first lot
15:14that's been put in.
15:15So the initial thing we do
15:16is spread it around,
15:17see if you can see anything obvious.
15:18I mean, straight away,
15:19you can see little bits, can't you?
15:22Yeah.
15:22That's...
15:23Oh, well, there's something
15:24with a lovely rivet in it.
15:26Look at that.
15:26Oh, yeah.
15:27That's a...
15:27I'm not an expert on this,
15:29but that looks part of the airframe.
15:32Yeah, well done.
15:33You've got your eye in, haven't you?
15:34Oh, I love it.
15:35I could honestly stand here
15:37all day long.
15:38I notice you're wearing
15:39a Falkland vet hat.
15:42Is that any connection
15:43with why you're here?
15:45Yes, it is.
15:46I was Falklands vet,
15:48went through some mental illnesses
15:49and archaeology sort of brought me out.
15:53Would it be okay
15:56to ask you what happened to you?
15:58Yeah, 1982 in the Falklands,
16:01I was on HMS Clamorgan
16:02and we were struck by an Exocet missile
16:06and unfortunately we lost 13 of our shipmates.
16:13So the back end of the ship was on fire.
16:15We were degrees away from capsizing,
16:18but within 18 hours, I think it was,
16:21we were upright, steaming at 26 knots
16:24with all fires out
16:25and we buried our comrades at sea
16:28the next morning.
16:30And that was about it.
16:32But you say that's about it.
16:33Did you talk about it when you got home?
16:35No, I just kept it in for so many years
16:38and the psychiatrist explained to me,
16:41he said it's like a kettle,
16:42it's just waiting to blow
16:43and it was just crap time.
16:46And what do you think it is about archaeology
16:48that has been so helpful?
16:49For a lot of chaps I've heard,
16:51and me included,
16:52you get flashbacks and nightmares, etc.
16:54But they just disappear
16:56while you're in the trench.
16:59Then all of a sudden somebody says,
17:01hey, going for a cuppa,
17:02you've been in there four hours
17:03and you think you've only just got in there.
17:05It's so focusing, isn't it?
17:06It is.
17:07It is.
17:08And it worked for me.
17:09I just wonder as well,
17:10there's some wonderful camaraderie
17:13amongst archaeologists
17:14and I wonder if it's that as well.
17:16It is that.
17:17When you get a group of veterans together,
17:19you're talking to somebody
17:21who speaks the same language as you,
17:23been through similar experiences as you,
17:26and that's another thing,
17:27you suddenly realise
17:27you're not the only person
17:28that's going through this.
17:30I can recommend it to anybody.
17:32Oh, me too.
17:32There's something of pleasure as well,
17:34you and I having a conversation,
17:36who might not have met.
17:37Yeah, yeah.
17:38And that is life-affirming, I think.
17:40Well, I left the Navy
17:41with no qualifications whatsoever
17:43and I've just got a first-class
17:45degree in archaeology,
17:47which I'm really proud of.
17:48Give it up.
17:50Proud of you.
17:50Now, let's earn it.
17:51Come on, come on.
17:52Keep digging, keep looking.
17:54There's a beautiful poetry
17:55to the idea that Leicester's death
17:57is helping today's veterans.
18:00Well, I think, Sean,
18:01we're done on this one.
18:03Yeah, I don't think...
18:03Do you agree?
18:04Right, shall we tip it out
18:05and get the next one?
18:06Maybe just tip it out.
18:08There we go.
18:09And then we go and get the next one
18:10and just clean that bit out.
18:11And several million left to go.
18:15Talking to Sean makes me want
18:17to better understand
18:18the man at the centre of this dig,
18:202nd Lieutenant Lester Lowry.
18:23So I'm going through the archives
18:24to see what I can learn.
18:27Aha!
18:28So this is where you've been.
18:30You've been studious.
18:31Honestly, my favourite thing in the world.
18:33A bit of research.
18:33So what have you found out for me, then?
18:37There's a surprising amount of stuff
18:40when you dig through the archive about Lester.
18:42I mean, actually,
18:43lots of his life is unbelievably tragic.
18:46He's orphaned at the age of 9.
18:49He has two brothers.
18:50He unfortunately has survived
18:52by only one of those brothers.
18:53He is flying a plane called Lucky Boy.
18:56Oh!
18:58I know.
18:58Lester was born in 1920,
19:02the youngest of three brothers.
19:04After his parents' death,
19:06he lived with his aunt Bess.
19:07He had four years of high school
19:09and then he'd gone off
19:10and gone into the National Guard
19:11and then transferred into the Air Force.
19:13But one of the things that we know
19:14is that he had a very short leave
19:17at home in August of 1943
19:19before he was sent to England.
19:21And just imagine that proud young man
19:24turning up at the door of his aunt.
19:26I mean, it must have been remarkable
19:28to see him standing there.
19:29Do you know what, though?
19:30He looks so young.
19:32I think that's what strikes me is,
19:35you know,
19:35he's only just come out of his teenage years.
19:37Yeah.
19:42This is the Western Union telegram
19:44that Lester's aunt Bess McNeish
19:47received to say that, very sadly,
19:50they first thought he was missing,
19:52but they confirmed the fact
19:54that your nephew's death occurred
19:55on the 26th of January
19:56in Great Bardfield, England.
20:00But his body is not recovered
20:01and it takes six years
20:02for them to write again to her.
20:05And they say,
20:06it is with deep regret
20:07that your government finds it necessary
20:08to inform you
20:09that further search and investigation
20:11have failed to reveal
20:12the whereabouts of your nephew's remains.
20:15It is with reluctance
20:17that you are sent the information
20:18that there is no grave
20:20at which to pay homage.
20:22May the knowledge
20:22of your nephew's honourable service
20:23to his country
20:24be a source of sustaining comfort to you.
20:28I think this just is all very real.
20:32When you're, you know,
20:33digging the distant past,
20:36it's very different
20:37because you don't have
20:39a file of somebody's life
20:40in front of you,
20:42those very real details.
20:43all of his life
20:44it's in this folder.
20:55Just come down to
20:56a quiet corner of the field
20:58where Lester died.
20:59Sometimes you just need
21:00a minute away from all the work
21:02and I saw these long grasses
21:03and it reminded me about
21:0415 years ago
21:06I went to South Africa
21:06I was writing a novel set
21:08in what was called
21:08the Second Boer War
21:10and I was very keen
21:11to visit all the grave sites
21:12and I took my wife
21:14to this particular place
21:15and I knew I'd got
21:15the GPS location exactly right
21:17and I could not see
21:19what should have been
21:20hundreds of graves.
21:22There was just a field
21:22of very long grasses
21:24and suddenly the wind blew
21:26and it parted the grasses
21:28and there was gravestone
21:30after gravestone
21:31from that conflict
21:33that nobody ever remembers.
21:36And it's true the world over.
21:37There is field after field
21:40in South Africa
21:41in France
21:42and here in Essex
21:44where all of those
21:45young lives were lost
21:47and you really have to
21:49ask yourself
21:49what was the point?
21:58Our dig in Essex
22:00to find debris
22:01from Second Lieutenant
22:02Lester Lowry's plane
22:03is in full swing
22:04and we continue to search
22:05for any sign of his P-47
22:07or evidence that links
22:09to him directly.
22:11Lester was one of thousands
22:12of American soldiers
22:13sent to Britain
22:14during the war
22:15and for many
22:16life here
22:16was a cultural shock.
22:18The local pub
22:19was just one of the ways
22:20they were encouraged
22:21to learn the rules
22:23of British life
22:23first hand.
22:26So I know the pub
22:27is quiet at the moment
22:27but it was important
22:29to come in here
22:29because this booklet
22:30Instructions for American
22:31Servicemen in Britain
22:321942 recommended
22:34that they come
22:35to the pub
22:36if they want to get
22:37to know British life.
22:38And rightly so.
22:39No, quite right.
22:40Who wouldn't want
22:41to come here?
22:42I mean, look at it.
22:44It's this beautiful
22:45little quintessential
22:46village, isn't it?
22:47In the countryside
22:48and all of a sudden
22:49being swamped
22:50by these people
22:52from across the ocean.
22:53Well, also there's
22:54that wonderful saying,
22:55you know,
22:55two nations divided
22:56by a common language.
22:58They had to have
22:58instructions as to
22:59what to say.
23:00Don't say bum
23:01because in Britain
23:01it means backside.
23:03I look like a bum.
23:04I look like a backside.
23:06Don't say bloody
23:06which is regarded
23:07in here as the worst
23:08of the British swear words.
23:10Oh.
23:13American filmmakers
23:14also got in on the act.
23:17Let me tell you
23:17a little about
23:18an English pub.
23:20It's not like a saloon.
23:22It's more like a club.
23:23A club for men and women
23:24who don't drink
23:25for the sake of drinking
23:26but for the company.
23:28Yeah, that's a nice
23:29job of port.
23:30Do you good.
23:31Thanks, Ducks.
23:31Yeah, Aggie.
23:32All this to give
23:33American boys advice
23:35on best behaviour.
23:38One of the instructions
23:39in the book
23:39which I really like
23:40is if you are invited
23:41to a British home
23:42don't eat too much.
23:43Well, because they were rationed
23:45and the Americans
23:46were not rationed
23:46and they wouldn't have known
23:47you might be eating up
23:48all of the food
23:49that their families
23:50got in at the time.
23:51So it must have been
23:53an astonishing cultural shock.
23:56The night before he died
23:57I like to think
23:58that Lowry had a pint
23:59and maybe a bit of a flirt
24:01with the person
24:02behind the bar
24:03in a place
24:04just like this.
24:06It's a lovely thing
24:08to think, isn't it?
24:08That he just
24:09had a raucous time
24:11and he was just
24:12trying to forget about
24:13the next mission.
24:14I still have so many
24:19questions about
24:20Leicester's life.
24:22Not far from the dig
24:23is a one-time airfield
24:24called
24:24Bottisham Station.
24:27Now a museum
24:28dedicated to the RAF
24:29and US 8th Air Force
24:30I'm here to meet
24:31a World War II historian
24:33to gain a deeper insight
24:34into where Leicester fitted
24:36into the expanding
24:37US war machine.
24:39Hello, Graham.
24:41Hello, Sandy.
24:42Lovely to see you.
24:42Ah, thanks for getting
24:43the teas in.
24:44That's very good.
24:45Right, I have brought
24:46some things
24:47for you to
24:48cast your
24:50practiced eye over.
24:52So the real question
24:53I have about
24:53Leicester Lowry
24:54because I'm trying
24:55to get to know him
24:56a little bit
24:56is why did he come
24:58in the first place?
24:59Leicester was not
25:00the obvious candidate
25:01to join the Air Force.
25:01I mean, he'd got
25:02four years of high school
25:03but he didn't have
25:04the two years of college
25:05that he needed.
25:05So they're in a difficult
25:06situation once war breaks out.
25:08They need a lot of pilots
25:10to fight the war
25:11all over the world
25:12and that means
25:12that people like
25:13Leicester Lowry
25:14who did not have
25:14two years of
25:15university education
25:17are brought into that net
25:18so they can apply
25:19as long as they
25:20pass an aptitude test.
25:22And the first place
25:23he seems to have trained
25:24is in Muscogee, Oklahoma.
25:26Yes.
25:26So this is the beginning
25:27of his learning to fly?
25:29Yes, so he's going to be
25:30doing his primary training there.
25:32He's going to be flying
25:32a PT-19,
25:34a very simple aircraft
25:35designed to teach you
25:36to fly.
25:37But the first time
25:38he comes across
25:38the P-47
25:39according to the flight record
25:40is when he arrives in Florida.
25:41Yes.
25:42And that must have been
25:43quite a change
25:43because he's on his own
25:44suddenly and in a massively
25:46huge aircraft.
25:48Well, he would have
25:48already flown solo
25:49in other aircraft
25:50but this aircraft
25:51is of a different league.
25:53You know, it's a huge aircraft,
25:54it's more complex,
25:56there are more accidents
25:57in the more advanced stages
25:59of flight training
26:00because you're encountering
26:01more complex aircraft.
26:03They're reducing and reducing
26:04the number of hours
26:05you get to train
26:06because they need
26:07the pilots to come quickly.
26:08Yes.
26:08So how much time
26:10does he get in a P-47?
26:11So he goes down to Florida
26:12and gets 30 hours
26:14in the P-47
26:15and then he comes over
26:16to the UK
26:16to Atcham
26:18and gets a further 17 hours.
26:19So he's got 47 hours
26:21in total.
26:21In total,
26:22which is less than half
26:23than what's really recommended.
26:24Less than half
26:25what typical pilots
26:26would usually have
26:27on the plane
26:27that they're going
26:28to fly operationally
26:29before they go in.
26:30So they're rushing
26:31these pilots through.
26:32It's actually a case
26:33of learn on the job
26:34and learn quickly
26:35or die trying.
26:37With a bare minimum
26:38of training,
26:39Leicester arrives
26:40in East Anglia
26:40in January 1944
26:42to join the 487
26:44Fighter Squadron.
26:45This is the original
26:46group squadron history
26:48for the 487th
26:50Fighter Squadron.
26:51On the front page
26:51is George Preddy
26:52who was one of
26:53the squadron
26:54leading lights.
26:55But if you are wondering
26:56why a young man
26:57like Leicester Lowry
26:58wants to be in the Air Force,
26:59you look at a picture
27:00like this,
27:01this is the ultimate
27:01romantic hero
27:02that could be played
27:03by Errol Flynn,
27:03the actor, isn't it?
27:04Absolutely, yes.
27:05He's got that moustache.
27:06I think it's astonishing.
27:08In fact,
27:09they all are looking
27:09off into the middle distance
27:10looking unbelievably heroic.
27:13Is Lowry in the book?
27:15Oh, that's painful,
27:16isn't it?
27:17Yeah.
27:17Not even a picture.
27:18He's named in the book
27:19but his photo is not there.
27:21He just wasn't there
27:22long enough
27:22to get a publicity photo done.
27:25It'd be a remarkable thing
27:26if we can in some way
27:27lay him to rest,
27:28do you not think?
27:28Absolutely.
27:29How long have you
27:30followed this story?
27:31At least 40 years.
27:34Oh.
27:35It's been a big part
27:36of my life.
27:37You must really wish for it.
27:38Absolutely, yes.
27:40Well, let's hope it happens.
27:42The investment in Lester's life
27:44is huge
27:45as we all continue to dig.
27:48The thing that we are doing now
27:49is a great tool
27:51when you're looking
27:52at something forensically.
27:53So as Raksha carries on
27:56with sieving duty
27:56I'm rejoining Sam
27:59who has brought out
28:00the big toys
28:01to continue the search
28:03for the plane's cockpit.
28:05Catch me up.
28:06What's the next stage?
28:08So basically
28:08we are going to
28:10dig into the crater
28:11a little bit more.
28:11We're going to take out
28:12this square
28:13you can see in front of us
28:14basically.
28:14It seems odd
28:15to have such a massive digger.
28:16I mean,
28:17can it take just little bits
28:18or it...
28:19Yeah, I mean
28:19we can take off
28:20a couple of inches
28:21at a time
28:21very slowly
28:22very cautiously.
28:24God, it's really exciting
28:25isn't it?
28:26Like you don't know
28:27what's going to happen.
28:28Absolutely
28:28and every archaeological site
28:30is like this.
28:30It's that process
28:31of discovery.
28:32Yeah.
28:32You know,
28:33you're peeling back the soil
28:34and you really genuinely
28:35don't know
28:35what's going to be down there.
28:37The metal's so twisted
28:38that it's stuck in there
28:40essentially.
28:41See how badly
28:42that this is all degraded.
28:43Wow.
28:44It's a piece of aircraft skin.
28:45Do you know
28:45what is extraordinary
28:46is when you hold
28:47something like that
28:47in your hand
28:48it is almost as if
28:48you can hear
28:49the noise
28:49of the destruction?
28:50It's so visceral
28:51isn't it
28:51to see a twisted
28:52piece of metal
28:53like that?
28:54Every inch
28:55of soil is examined
28:56and the deeper
28:57we go
28:57the more we find.
28:59All right Colin
29:00stop there please.
29:03Ooh.
29:06Oh wow.
29:0750 cal.
29:08That is lovely.
29:10Mark you'll have a look.
29:10The 50 cal here.
29:13And there was
29:13about 1200 rounds
29:15in each wing
29:16of those.
29:17Right.
29:17So there's a good
29:18chance of finding
29:18some more.
29:19Oh yeah.
29:19I can really see
29:20the value of the digger
29:21because what's happening
29:22is we're really getting
29:23to the bigger pieces now.
29:24We're getting down
29:25to the nitty gritty.
29:26Exactly.
29:27They're far larger pieces.
29:28Pieces are a bit
29:29more identifiable
29:30and that ultimately
29:32is good news.
29:33I want an answer
29:34to the story.
29:35That's it.
29:35We hope that it is
29:36that significant clue
29:37that we need ultimately.
29:40That truly significant clue
29:42would be a plane part
29:44with a unique serial number
29:45stamped on it.
29:46At the moment though
29:47I'd settle for anything
29:49to help me understand
29:50what happened to Leicester.
29:51Ah that could be
29:53fuel tank.
29:57Yeah.
29:58And where is it
29:59sitting on the plane?
30:00Right this is the
30:00interesting thing
30:01because the main fuel
30:02tanks were right
30:04underneath the cockpit
30:04so he would have
30:05almost been sat
30:06on top of them.
30:08Wow.
30:09Yeah.
30:09Okay.
30:10And there were
30:11350 gallons
30:12in those tanks
30:14so yeah they held
30:15an awful lot.
30:16So I'm just trying
30:16to work it out
30:17in my mind
30:17if it's directly
30:18under the cockpit
30:19and he's in a spin
30:20and he's going down.
30:22This is something
30:23we were discussing
30:24because if he came
30:24in at a spin
30:25he might have come in
30:27inverted like this
30:28because we're getting
30:29a lot of the grey paint
30:30coming up in the topsoil
30:32but we're not getting
30:34much evidence
30:34of the green paint
30:35which would have been
30:36on top
30:36so it could have
30:38So the fuel tank
30:39might be above the cockpit?
30:40Yes.
30:41Which is counterintuitive
30:42to what you would imagine?
30:43Yes.
30:44Okay.
30:44So if he's in a spin
30:46and the fuel tank
30:47is right next
30:47to the cockpit
30:48it's possible
30:49if we found the fuel tank
30:50that actually
30:51the cockpit is below
30:52and what's happening
30:53is we're getting
30:54closer to Leicester.
30:55Yes.
30:56It's quite...
30:57Yeah.
30:57I mean that is a possibility.
30:59Yeah.
31:01Leaving the dig
31:02in the capable hands
31:03of the team
31:04I want to get
31:06a closer look
31:07at the mighty
31:08P-47 Thunderbolt.
31:10I have been reading
31:16and reading
31:17about the plane
31:18that Leicester Lowry
31:19lost his life in
31:20the P-47
31:20but nothing
31:21on the written page
31:23prepares you
31:24for the size
31:25of the thing.
31:26Otherwise known
31:27as the Thunderbolt
31:28it came into service
31:29in this country
31:30in the spring of 1943
31:31it is a beast.
31:33One pilot
31:33referred to it
31:34as like flying
31:35a bathtub
31:36in the sky.
31:37And look at the power
31:38look at these machine guns
31:39eight machine guns
31:40a hundred rounds
31:41per second.
31:42Imagine flying
31:43such a thing
31:43and especially
31:44when you have
31:45very very little
31:46experience.
31:49Mark is a former
31:50airline pilot
31:51turned aviation
31:52showman.
31:53You look fantastic
31:54you took just the job
31:55I have to say.
31:56Thank you so much.
31:56So the P-47
31:57I'm fascinated by it
31:59have you actually
31:59flown this one?
32:00I flew this very aircraft
32:02last Thursday
32:02at an air show.
32:03Oh and what's it like?
32:04What does it feel like?
32:05It's a stunning aeroplane
32:06it's an aircraft
32:07which retains its energy
32:09quite well in a dive.
32:11It's a big heavy aeroplane
32:12you're diving in
32:13picking up huge amounts
32:14of speed.
32:15The key thing is
32:16the mass of the aeroplane
32:17the sheer weight of it
32:18that makes it so complicated.
32:19Twice the size of a Spitfire?
32:20At least that.
32:21Spitfire is a three ton aeroplane
32:22this is a seven ton aeroplane
32:23so over twice the weight.
32:25Okay so you need to
32:26approach it with caution.
32:27How many hours
32:27of flying experience
32:28do you have?
32:29I've got around about
32:29three and a half thousand
32:30hours in light aircraft
32:32with single engine
32:32and probably around about
32:3450 to 100 hours
32:35in this aeroplane.
32:35Okay and Lester in total
32:37his flying experience
32:38was about 48 hours.
32:40It's shocking.
32:41Yeah.
32:41To be sent out into combat
32:42with so little experience
32:43is quite shocking.
32:44On its own
32:45in the plane
32:45and by himself.
32:46Absolutely.
32:47Can I have a feel
32:48of what that might be like?
32:49Let's take a look.
32:49Thank you sweetie.
32:50If we were in a hurry
32:53because people
32:53were being attacked
32:54I don't know
32:54if that would be any good.
32:55Absolutely.
32:57And then hold on
32:58to the windshield
32:58and up we go.
33:00She's in.
33:02She's aboard.
33:02That's one of the most
33:03exciting moments of my life.
33:04She's aboard.
33:05Can I just kiss you?
33:06That was fantastic.
33:08I'm genuinely excited.
33:10And now you're going
33:10to step onto the floor.
33:11Okay.
33:12Wow.
33:15Welcome to the P-47D Thunderbolt.
33:18Oh my.
33:19You have no sense of it
33:21until you're in it.
33:22Wow.
33:23I mean you feel
33:24the power of it
33:25but you're also
33:26very alone
33:26are you not?
33:27Very alone yes.
33:28And the first time
33:29he flew one of these
33:29he would have been
33:30entirely by himself
33:31necessarily.
33:31There were no
33:32two seat P-47 trainers
33:33so he would have
33:34just read the manual
33:35been told what to do
33:36get in it
33:36start it up
33:37and take off.
33:40Lester's lack of experience
33:41wasn't the only
33:42hindering factor.
33:44On the 26th of January
33:451944
33:45the weather report
33:47was for low cloud
33:48and rain.
33:49Even so
33:50Lester and three
33:51other pilots
33:51took off
33:52for what seemed
33:53like a routine
33:54training flight.
33:56So he's in formation
33:57three other pilots
33:58there's four of them
33:59up in the air
33:59in the clouds.
34:00What's he seeing
34:01in front of him
34:01as he goes into a dive?
34:03Is he seeing
34:03what speed is he at
34:05for example?
34:06Well the key thing
34:06is what they were doing
34:07they were training
34:08for combat
34:09so they had four aircraft
34:10in a string
34:11so led by a leader
34:12and they were doing
34:13various aerobatic
34:14manoeuvres
34:14above cloud
34:15all of that
34:16is done visually
34:17he's got to keep
34:18his eye on the guy
34:18in front of him
34:19that's what he does
34:19in combat
34:20he covers the tail
34:21of his leader
34:21and that's what
34:22he's been trained
34:22to do.
34:24In this case
34:24because they're
34:24above cloud
34:25the lead aircraft
34:26led them down
34:27to the top
34:27of the cloud
34:28and then pulled up
34:28at very high speed
34:29because he's number
34:30four he's reacting
34:31much later
34:32than the other aircraft
34:33it's almost like
34:34being at the end
34:35of a whip
34:35and each subsequent
34:37aircraft
34:37is trying to follow him
34:38it's almost like
34:39a whiplash effect
34:39and the number four aircraft
34:41which is Leicester
34:41would have gone
34:42straight into cloud
34:43so I'm trying to imagine
34:44what it's like
34:45you're in a dive
34:47why did he not
34:48come out of the dive
34:49that's the bit
34:49I don't understand
34:50once you go into cloud
34:51you're entirely reliant
34:52upon the instruments
34:53in the aeroplane
34:54and it's entirely possible
34:55that when he was doing
34:56the aerobatics
34:56before the actual accident
34:57occurred
34:58his artificial horizon
34:59which tells him
35:00which work is it
35:01may have failed
35:01so there's a possibility
35:03he had no idea
35:03where he was
35:04when he's in the cloud
35:05these are very simple
35:06gyro instruments
35:07if the gyro had toppled
35:08his horizon would not
35:10necessarily have been
35:10telling him the truth
35:11so the first time
35:13he knows he's in trouble
35:13is when he comes
35:15out of the cloud
35:15well he'd have known
35:16he's in trouble
35:16because the noise
35:17the speed building up
35:18but once he broke
35:19out of cloud
35:19he would have been
35:20absolutely certain
35:20here comes the ground
35:22very little he could
35:23have done about it
35:23and also for the other
35:24pilots they're speaking
35:25to each other on the radio
35:26and then suddenly
35:27silence from him
35:28absolutely
35:28I think there was
35:29a final call
35:30one of his flight mates
35:32tried to call him
35:32and he replied
35:33but then nothing
35:34and then nothing at all
35:35may I feel what it's like
35:37just to take off
35:38of course I will
35:38close the canopy for you
35:40so here we go
35:41elbows in
35:43as they say
35:43the thing I hadn't
35:57expected is
35:58is how echoey it is
36:00it's sort of frightening
36:01you really do feel
36:03utterly alone
36:04it's terrifying
36:13but it must have been
36:14exhilarating as well
36:15you could see the blue sky
36:16and the cloud
36:16and you're following
36:17your mates
36:18and down into the cloud
36:19and suddenly
36:20he knows the earth
36:21is coming up
36:22and there's nothing
36:23he could do
36:23that young man
36:26can have had no idea
36:27when he climbed in here
36:28that he was actually
36:29getting into his tomb
36:30so I've got a surprise
36:47for you
36:48no
36:48okay
36:48how many times
36:50in your career
36:51have you been able
36:52to interview somebody
36:54about an event
36:55that you are currently
36:56excavating
36:57not very often
36:59okay
37:00there is a gentleman
37:01in the village
37:02who is 90
37:03who was a child
37:05when the crash happened
37:06he heard it
37:08he was as close
37:09as anybody
37:10was able to be
37:11to the actual
37:12moment
37:13of impact
37:14you know me
37:15very well
37:16because this makes
37:16me extremely happy
37:18Peter
37:19come on in
37:20Peter Gordon Morris
37:22has lived in
37:22Great Birdfield
37:23since he was a child
37:24and his memory
37:25stretches back
37:26to World War II
37:27so what was it like
37:28having the Americans
37:30wandering around
37:31your village
37:31well they used to
37:32bike down from
37:33sailing aerodrome
37:34to the horseshoes
37:35which is a pub
37:36down at the bottom
37:36of the village
37:37and the green
37:39was covered in bicycles
37:40because they used
37:41to mob the pub
37:43but they took you
37:44as well for a Christmas
37:45party didn't they
37:45the American service
37:46people
37:46they gathered all
37:47the children
37:47from the Australian
37:48villages
37:49and we went up
37:49to sailing aerodrome
37:50and they had a
37:52tremendous Christmas
37:53party up there
37:54everything was on
37:55ration except for
37:56the Americans
37:57they got plenty
37:58of supplies
37:59so what did you have
38:00never had ice cream
38:01before
38:01and up there
38:03we had coffee
38:04flavoured ice cream
38:05and we had sweets
38:07chewing gum
38:08and all different
38:08sorts of things
38:09they called them candy
38:10on the day of
38:11Leicester's tragic
38:12accident
38:13a young Peter
38:14was attending
38:14his local school
38:15just metres
38:16from the crash
38:17site
38:17can you actually
38:18tell us about
38:19the crash
38:20we were going
38:21into school
38:22our teacher
38:22was Mrs Deonel
38:23who was a lovely
38:24lady
38:25and she got us
38:26very very quickly
38:27into the shelter
38:28because we didn't
38:29know what was
38:30happening
38:30tremendous explosion
38:31so did you
38:33actually go and
38:34visit the crater
38:34then
38:35oh yes
38:35and how big
38:36was it
38:36roughly
38:37roughly
38:3810 to 15 feet
38:40deep
38:40and probably
38:41about 15
38:4220 feet
38:42across
38:43tremendous crater
38:44and how soon
38:45after the crash
38:46did you go up
38:47to see
38:48where
38:48the evening
38:49right
38:50and was it still
38:51on fire
38:51or was there
38:52still smouldering
38:53smell of the fuel
38:54petrol or whatever
38:56they put in the
38:56airplane
38:57and could you
38:58actually see
38:58what was left
38:59of the aircraft
39:00there wasn't
39:01very much
39:01left of it
39:02to be honest
39:02with you
39:02a huge explosion
39:04it's amazing
39:05that the plane
39:06didn't hit the school
39:07and didn't hit the village
39:09we wondered
39:10if he deliberately
39:11avoided the school
39:12because I mean
39:13150 school children
39:14in there
39:15so we've
39:16rather characterised
39:17him as inexperienced
39:18but maybe
39:19actually what he was
39:19was a hero
39:20he missed the village
39:23he missed the school
39:24of course he's a hero
39:26our time in Essex
39:33is coming to a close
39:34the mission
39:38was to uncover
39:39evidence
39:39that identified
39:40the crashed
39:41P-47
39:41Lucky Boy
39:42and its pilot
39:432nd Lieutenant
39:44Lester Lowry
39:45the sheer number
39:47of finds
39:48speaks to the scale
39:49of the destruction
39:49caused by the crash
39:51leafing through
39:54the P-47 manual
39:56Sam and Harvey
39:57are trying to match it
39:58with recovered plane pieces
39:59looking for those
40:00all important serial numbers
40:02which would be
40:03positive proof
40:04ooh is that the manual
40:06oh
40:07it is
40:08it's rather intimidating
40:09okay
40:10do you know what
40:11it's a wonderful thing
40:12though isn't it
40:12the detail in it
40:14is amazing
40:14it's so handy
40:15have you been able
40:15to align things
40:17so we're just looking
40:18for this in the manual
40:19we've got the part numbers
40:20can't see it there
40:22ah
40:22there it is
40:23oh yeah
40:23oh wow
40:24you can see it lines up
40:26completely
40:26absolutely
40:27what I love
40:28a little bit excited
40:29Sam and I found that
40:30we did
40:31so you can recognise
40:32this bit now
40:32can't you
40:32you do
40:33it's part of the fuel tank
40:34it is
40:34absolutely
40:35so these fuel tanks
40:37would have sat
40:38directly under
40:39the pilot
40:39and the really amazing
40:41stuff about these fuel tanks
40:43as you can see
40:43it's like different layers
40:45in it
40:45yeah
40:45so if this took a bullet
40:47from an enemy aircraft
40:48it would self-seal
40:49oh wow
40:50so it wouldn't leak
40:51that is extraordinary
40:52it was just something
40:52extraordinary
40:53they used them on B-17s as well
40:55but this is
40:56I mean
40:56this tiny little thing
40:57what is the importance of it
40:58Javi
40:59well the importance of it
41:00it was part of the
41:01directional gyroscope
41:03and this is what they call
41:03the data plate
41:04and you can see on here
41:05we've got various
41:06different numbers
41:06we've got
41:07a contract number
41:08we've got a part number
41:09but most importantly
41:11we've got a serial number
41:12on there
41:12which means that
41:13we might be able to
41:14actually correlate
41:16that particular airframe
41:18to this
41:20which means that
41:20we've satisfied
41:21the DPAA requirement
41:23of actually corroborating
41:24that that is that aircraft
41:26could definitively say
41:27it was Lucky Boy
41:28as long as we can match
41:30that number
41:30yes
41:31do you know what
41:32that is the tiniest piece
41:34out of this whole entire plane
41:36and it can just
41:38tell us so much
41:39absolutely
41:39so potentially
41:41I'm holding
41:42what Lester
41:44was looking at
41:45but we haven't found him
41:47we've got a lot closer
41:49we had a very significant
41:52step forward
41:52in that direction
41:53and I have it here
41:55we have the clip
41:58from his parachute harness
42:00so this would have been
42:01something he was wearing
42:02in the aircraft
42:03this is from the strap
42:05that would
42:05gone over his chest
42:06and clasped at the front
42:07about here
42:08so that's on his
42:09that's on his person
42:11while he's in the plane
42:12I mean it's pretty close
42:15that is really close
42:17very close
42:17the fact that it's
42:19over his heart
42:20and he had the potential
42:22to bail out
42:23the sad irony is
42:24of course he never got
42:25to use the parachute
42:26you know at low altitude
42:27even if he'd been able
42:28to bail out the aircraft
42:29the time it would take
42:31the parachute to open
42:32at that low altitude
42:33it may not have been possible
42:35I feel like as though
42:37we've found him
42:37yeah it does feel like
42:38we've found him
42:39yeah
42:39well done guys
42:40thank you
42:42for the last few weeks
42:45during this dig
42:46I feel like I've grown
42:47close to Leicester
42:48and to be holding
42:49this object that he wore
42:50in his final moments
42:51is incredibly touching
42:53I have been honoured
42:56and moved
42:57to be part of such
42:58an important dig
42:59and isn't that remarkable
43:01that he has
43:01laid in that field
43:03on his own
43:04for all of those
43:05decades
43:06with nobody
43:07telling his story
43:08but now his name
43:09has been reverberating
43:10around the site
43:11we have talked
43:12and talked about him
43:13and told his story
43:14we are remembering him
43:15aren't we
43:15because we're all
43:16searching for him
43:18and it's not over is it
43:19I mean there's going
43:20to be more
43:20archaeologically speaking
43:21there has been
43:22a recommendation
43:23that they will return
43:24in the future
43:25to find further evidence
43:27that will link to Leicester
43:28I'll be here
43:29I'll be on the sieves
43:30I loved it
43:32it was great
43:33wasn't it
43:33shall I take you
43:34to a place
43:35where his name
43:35will be etched forever
43:36yeah
43:37come on then
43:38on the outskirts
43:49of Cambridge
43:49the American cemetery
43:51pays tribute
43:51to those who gave
43:52the ultimate sacrifice
43:54during World War II
43:55the memorial wall
43:57alone lists the names
43:58of over 5,000 Americans
44:00who died
44:01but whose bodies
44:02like Leicester's
44:03have not yet been recovered
44:05and as we listen
44:15to the bugle call taps
44:16I'm so proud to stand
44:18with the other archaeologists
44:19and volunteers
44:20as we remember Leicester
44:21who experienced
44:22such hardship in life
44:24and died so young
44:25and I wonder
44:44about the thousands
44:45of other fallen heroes
44:46whose stories
44:47have been forgotten
44:48you know when we sat down
44:52and we talked about
44:53doing this whole
44:55show and everything
44:56I don't think you mentioned
44:58we were going to cry
44:59quite as much
44:59do you know what
45:02I don't think
45:03I've cried so much
45:04during my whole
45:07archaeological career
45:08the stories just
45:10they reach in
45:11and grab your heart
45:12the whole time
45:13during the ceremony
45:14it was as if
45:16Leicester kind of
45:16came to life for me
45:17because what I was actually
45:18thinking about
45:19was my son-in-law
45:20who's in the army
45:22and he's so beautiful
45:23and fit
45:24and gorgeous
45:25and funny
45:26and I would be
45:27devastated
45:28if something happened
45:29to him
45:30and you take that
45:31devastation
45:32and you multiply it
45:33by hundreds
45:34by thousands
45:35and I guess
45:36what I was upset about
45:37there's nobody left
45:38to be devastated
45:39for Leicester
45:39but we were
45:41and the volunteers
45:42were
45:42and I feel like
45:43as though we're
45:43his family now
45:44that's my biggest wish
45:45is that we can
45:46make sure that he's
45:47either laid to rest
45:48with his colleagues
45:49in this cemetery
45:50or he's sent home
45:51it's been extraordinary
45:53I'm going to cry again
45:58I'm going to cry again
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