Time Team S07E03 - One of the First Spitfires Lost in France - Wierre-Effroy, France
Time Team (1994)
S07E03 One of the First Spitfires Lost in France - Wierre-Effroy, France
Episode Overview
On May 23, 1940, RAF pilot Paul Klipsch's Spitfire (P9373) went down in a field in Wierre-Effroy, France. Time Team, alongside WWII aviation experts and crash investigator Steve Moss, delves into the incident. They are joined by Klipsch's stepbrother, who last visited the area on D-Day. Local villagers recall witnessing the aerial combat and the subsequent crash. Group Captain Allan Wright, who was flying with Klipsch, also contributes to the inquiry. The wreckage of the Spitfire is unearthed, revealing that Gunther Specht in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 was responsible for the downing. Meanwhile, Phil engages in experimental archaeology by learning to fix a Spitfire wing flap using basic tools.