The Mysterious Crash Of Two US B17 Bombers After Leaving WW2 Frontline | FULL EPISODE | Time Team 

Bob has a damned good memory. It's incredible to me how he identifies each piece without context after so many years. Appreciate those guys so much. Heroes.

This episode, I believe, is particularly of interest because it shows that archaeology is not limited to ancient times but can help decipher things that have happened in nearer memory. It truly shows the breath of archaeology not just the depth of the field.

As an American, I found this strangely and intensely touching in a way I did not expect. Time Team, please accept my gratitude for such a sensitive treatment of this episode of recent history.

Tony: " All our equipment has been out today, the diggers, the metal detectors, Phill" LOL

"It shouldn't explode unless you hit it with something small and metal." "Like a trowel?" "Oh, yes, that would be perfect!"

I think I’ve watched almost every Published episode of TT since the Covid pandemic but this is the only one that made me cry. Thank you, TT! My dad flew B-17’s in WW2.

Great Episode. The village of Reedham has a plaque in the ground at a crossroads in the village honoring the American Servicemen who lost their lives in the crash over the Marshes. Each servicemen's names are on the plaque. Every Remembrance Day flowers are laid at the plaque by the village. Every several years the American Embassy sends a representative to the village for the Remembrance Day services. The English never forget what America did for them during WWII.

I'm an American but my Grandfather and Great Uncles fought in WWII. My Grandfather's unit was the 1st one to use ground based radar, and my great uncles survived Pearl Harbor. They all amazingly survived the war. I just want to say thank you for telling the story of these brave men and I wish everyones story from that war could be told.

For those interested in visiting it, the Reedham War Memorial is at the junction of Station/The Hills Road and Riverside in Reedham, Norfolk. The American Air Museum website has more detail on the memorial and the men who lost their lives in that crash. Thank you, TT, for treating this site with respect.

I legitimately cried when they talked about the crew. Their last mission. They were going home. 😢

A big thank you to Phil for wanting to maintain the integrity of the site.

I am so grateful to TT for doing this episode, even after all these years it is emotional for me because It brings to mind my own Father being on one of these planes as a radio operator in WW2 and the crash that he survived and what the outcome could have been. So many Americans have fought and died for the freedom of other countries and I for one appreciate the sensitivity TT's took with treatment of the subject. Thank You!

As an American and the son of a WW2 veteran I found this episode very heart wrenching. God bless those boys and their sacrifice!!🇺🇸

I've seen many videos on US crash sites in Britain and it brings a tear to my eye when seeing the citizens of Britain being so reverent and reflective on the crash sites. Most notably "Over Exposure" on bleaklough. Thank you to all of the British citizens who remember our soldiers 😢 thank you🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 Yes I know I've got a funny foreign name, and my family IS from Scotland, but I was born in New Hampshire and I've lived here all my life 😁👍

This was so intriguing to me since my father was a bombardier in England during the war. He went in to be a medic but they needed him for this task. He never spoke of his time in the war and I have wondered about it. One story that he did tell was about one time he was supposed to go on a plane but got bumped and that plane went down. It wasn't his time obviously. I had wanted to watch this segment/search to fill in some gaps of my own. I have been watching all the Time Team shows since I love studying about the old archeological finds and everyone in the crews are just so enthusiastic, passionate about what they have done and also with such great humor and education for us. Thank you Time Team....:-).

I had an uncle who was a right waist gunner on a B-17 and flew combat missions all over Europe. He got hit in the arm on a mission and had to spend time in the hospital. During this time, his buddies with a substitute gunner flew another mission and were shot down - no survivors. After he got out of the hospital, he spent the rest of the war as a substitute gunner with various crews.

I found this episode to be very tragic. Thank you TT for being sympathetic to these men and their families. The eye-wittness accounts got me all teared up.

The greatest generation. I respect those of that generation so much. I was amazing to watch her paint again as she did during the war. They deserve every bit of respect. They did so much that we now can’t imagine. Can’t imagine thinking you’re going home after a bombing run, survive the onslaught of the enemy , free from danger and die on the way back to the base. Poor guys. Rip men. Love time team.

This is among my favorite Time Team episodes because of the combination of eyewitness testimony, old historical clips, and Tony's reenactment of wearing the gear and entering the plane to get to the plane cockpit. Plus, Annie's nose art painting and the music that accompanied those segments. This episode itself was a tremendous memorial to those 21 Americans who never saw their home or the end of the war that separated them from their loved ones forever.

Well done TT! I appreciate the manner and compassion that went into finding out what happened to our Hero’s. Thank you!

I had flown in b17 "909" twice before it crashed in 2019... rip "909"

My dad’s uncle Robert Orr served in the Air Force in WW2 & flew a mission in the South Pacific. He was coming back from a mission during a storm & crash landed at the base. He died in the crash. God bless all of our service men & women here in America & in Britain.

Episode 38 (Series 6, Episode 8): Bombers in Reedham Marsh, Aired: February 21, 1999

Home free on their 25th mission, downed on friendly soil, just seems to make it more tragic.

RIP..so sad. I knew some WWII veterans, but they were in the Navy. Very touching.

Oh wow Bob, you absolute madman. I’ve never seen someone know something inside and out to that extent.

Love the memorial for our guys! That’s awesome! They deserve it- all of them do. That war was horrible- and what was going on in the world at the time was horrible. Thankfully the allies put a stop to it but at a heavy cost. 🙏 was very nice of you guys to think of the soldiers. Even though they are Americans and not English. Very cool

"These people should still be alive by rights." Something you don't think of every Time Team. Nice observation.

When 800 to a 1000 American bombers (primarily B-17 and B-24) all took to the sky headed out for a major mission, it was called "aluminum overcast".

I always loved history. Growing up in the 50s, with lots of WW2 veterans. Then add the movies and being stationed in Germany with my husband, and this particular episode broke my heart.

Thank you. My uncle was a ball turret gunner. The reason? He was small, only 5'3", small enough to maneuver in that space. The family tells that my grandfather fed him bananas to get his weight up enough to pass the weight requirement. "My" picture is his sister, the eldest in the family at age 19.

How sad, hard to find this episode quite as enjoyable. Funny how things change when the deaths are more current.

I love all your videos. This one, to me, is the most heart-wrenching though. To know that those brave individuals who risked their lives on a daily basis to save the lives of so many others were so close to "home" and safety. It wasn't to be though. I love this one too but it is so tough to watch because of the tragedy in it. Thank you for doing what you do to solve the mysteries behind this sad accident. A very heartfelt thank you.

my uncle Phil was a crew member on a B17 during WW2, got shot down over Germany and was a POW. This episode makes me miss him soo much

This unfortunate event really made me sad! The telegram that hero sent saying one more to go hit me harder than I expected, I can’t imagine how devastated his and all of their loved ones were when they got that horrible news! For all of their sake I hope they weren’t told of exactly how they went down, it would just add to the heart break! I really enjoy these videos by the time team, very well done, every person that fought and also died just so we can have the freedoms we have today are hero’s, greatest generation for sure!

Great episode! So glad i found Time Team. You guys make history fun!

In WW2 the personell on the B-17's had to take a lot of their gear off to get through the bomb bay area. The doors below would open with 50 pounds of weight on them (a little over 100kl). This was a safety feature in case a bomb fell off a rack. The doors would automatically open to release it instead of going off in the plane. Good luck as a crewmember if you fell in turbulence while crossing that area without your chute on.

I went on board a restored B-17, I was amazed at how small it was inside... And when this bomber turned turtle, the crew wouldn't be able to parachute out due to the g force...

I have enjoyed all of time teams show, but this one you out did yourself. The care for who and when this happened was special. Thank you.

My father was a WWII fighter pilot, but over in Asia with the Flying Tigers. His plane was called the "Eight-Ball"" - because if you got behind the Eight-Ball, you were in trouble. After he returned, he taught evasive flying. And all this in his early 20s.

Great video ,awesome work to honor those great men so close to going home safe .A shame .Thank You all .. Made me a subscriber.

Omg...returning from their last mission, how sad...

Feel so sorry for the families of the men.

While in battle over the skies of Europe, many B-17's were damaged severely. It's speculation but it's possible that the engine was feathered over the target area and as so many, returned on what was left of the aircraft. At the time of WWII and needing as many pilots as they did, it's possible that the pilot was suffering from "Spacial Disorientation" due to being unfamiliar with flying on instruments. Like so many, these crews didn't enjoy their spoils of war...... Victory. I lost a distant relative in a B-17 over France in 1944. I feel for those families. Very interesting program.

No mention of the irony that the pilot was named Warren Peas (War & Peace)

This is cool, I love WWII history and archaeology

At 48:55 did anyone else notice the doll that's dressed like Mick?

My grandfather fought in the trenches in WWII during the battle of the bulge in England. He was in the US Army at the time and he manned a machine gun in a desperate effort to keep the Germans from invading England. He never talked about his time in the war. As for the crews of the planes that went down, I suspected damage from enemy fire at first until it was revealed that engine failure was the ultimate cause of the tragedy. The war was over for these men and they were on their way home. May they rest in piece. 🙏

It must have been quite a sight seeing as many as 900 B17s flying overhead...

I saw the B-17 at Duxford in 1998. I was surprised at how small it looked actually. I expected bigger... a lot bigger.

A really great episode!! Usually Time Team digs look at history far back and though exceedingly interesting , the events and people are so distant they don't connect very well with people now. However, this episode really resonates with so many people. It was truly fascinating and emotionally involving like never before. I am glad that a realistic conclusion about the cause of the accident was possible. I hope the loved ones of the 21 airmen who died will gain some comfort from that. Air Crash Investigations seems a bit sterile in comparison!!

So sad it was their last mission and just a few miles from base. Damn. That has to be frustrating on some of these digs knowing decades and sometimes centuries of people have trampled on all of that or picked through it. No telling what would be left.

how sobering. this is *history* in its shocking intensity. bravo, time team.

Title editor. You had _ONE_ job!

so brave by a few man that lost their lives and gave the ultimate sacrifice - thank you

Enjoy your videos please keep them coming!!!♡♡

The primary point of the Army Air Corp recovery was the bodies. They would have next recovered the Norton Bomb Sight as a priority. Then general cleanup.

So it seems that with Time Team the difficult is done right away, whilst the IMPOSSIBLE takes just a little bit longer.

I can’t even begin to imagine that in the heart of the war,amidst all that chaos,with senses heightened to their peak…what these men went through…and achieved….only for their lives to be taken in a such a tragic way…it really saddened me…but I am also glad to be informed of it through one of my favourite shows of all time…a salute those soldiers that fought the good fight….

For those wondering, this episode is on Season (or Series for the Brits on here) 6 (not 7 as stated in the description), episode 8.

Reminds me of the ValuJet Flight 592 crash in the Florida Everglades in May of 1996. Almost nothing was recovered from the deep muck (30 feet in some places). At least this crew isn’t battling alligators and snakes. Although this was interesting, I kept thinking they could have saved some serious money and mess if they’d just bothered to check the local history museum first.

its probably the best of UK television, it shaped my youth and early adulthood

8:00 damn that makes me sick. so many successful runs, and a letter sent saying you survived. Just to get taken out seconds before landing.

It certainly is very sad to see the last telegramme of Mr Hutchinson and tragically ironic that he and the others were killed in an accident. How many other tragic stories, unrecorded of all the people who were killed by the bombs his crew dropped? Bloody war!

Can someone tell us a little more about the various metal detectors in use in this episode? I'd be interested in hearing about the advantages of each, and the make and model.

They wa Ted to find the plane in one piece? At say 400mph nose first into the ground, there isn’t going to be a fuselage or wings

I knew an older guy who was a radio operator on a B-17, he became a POW but returned safely to allied control. I saw his Air Medal. I believe the digger machines should be used. I have been in Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Pakefield.

Such a devastating story

Define irony. You survive unimaginable heavy shelling and bullets spraying you from every angle, survive, and then die 50 miles from base!. thats the worst part. I actually used to live just a few miles from this. I used to play in Reedham marshes with some friends, and we would often walk our dogs over there too. When time team came to the area it was all the talk for weeks. Still remember it even now.

I wish you would include the date on which the program originally aired (or at least the Season and Episode), it would be nice to be able to put them into context. Sometimes comments are made in the show (plus the quality of the video) to establish roughly when it was, but how old the excavation or investigation was is also of interest. I guess this one was Season 12, Episode 3, first aired in 2005.

Would love to have AN OFFICIAL TIME TEAM PLAYlIST DURING THESE TIMES. K love you bye.

Diepholz Aircraft Depot.. used to go to a Disco in Diepholz when I was a Sapper in Nienburg!

Anyone know the name of the tune played during the nose art segment of the program? I recognize it but I can't remember the name of it and it's driving my crazy!

Grandpa was an RAF mechanic...Hurc's and Lanc's I think. He was in Canada during WWII. Rest in peace all soldiers in arms, Amen!🪖🎖

So sad..

The armor plate looked more like the co-pilots seat. They were angled to conform to the fuselage.

The red lens is a port, top or bottom of wing formation light

23:14, God bless Mick, "That's how it must have been for our chaps . . . "

This was a good one. However, it isn't Season 7, Episode 13, according to being Prime Video and IMDB this episode was from Season 6, Episode 8.

Was it a misty day for it to be Misterious?!!

The nose art re-creation by the original artist got me choked up.

@29:45 - Inglewood, California - the town of my birth. The hospital is long gone now.

This is Series 6, Episode 8, so the description is wrong

From watching civilian aviation crash channels, it seems to be a frequent outcome that you dont find large pieces of the involved aircraft. No large parts survive the crash; all that remains is the type of smaller pieces they're finding in this episode.

From my mother's sleep I fell into the state And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. 6 miles from Earth loosed from its dream of life. I woke to Black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. Randall Jarrell 1945

21:22 bonus trivia: -40°F is -40°C, so the outside temperature was both :)

Crying 😪 fate is cruel last mission they were all going home seeing there faces an the telegram did me in . RIP 🙏

Well done time team

I believe that all bombers had to release any un-used bombs before reaching the landing point, for the sake of a safe landing. If they did not release over their targets, they found safe places to off-load; e.g. ocean, etc.

Mick is like a mouse on a sticky trap. LOL.

Time Team needs a customized MillerTable... ??

25th and last mission for Hutch...smoking a Big Cigar...Missions well done...to be heading home soon...to family friends and a bright future and...What a terrible outcome for all our lost Flyers and crews!! Bitter! Terrible thought that after Hutch's last telegram home with its good news there would be another much more terrible telegram to his parents!

an "archeological" method? Its not exploring layer by layer to build history - you know it all happened at once!

How appalling. They were returning from their final sortie!

Pease suffered spatial disorientation in the cloud.

Yeah that must have sucked to get that good news, then the KIA telegram right after.

It's "Mysterious", you muppets!

21 crew members? Odd number. One plane had more crew.

Such a shame , one crews last mission

43:53 haha hahahahaha!