Archaeology
Co-pilot’s dog tag found at wreck site of WWII B-17 Flying Fortress
Archaeologists excavating the crash site of the B-17 “Little Boy Blue” have recovered a dog tag belonging to USAAF Co-Pilot Aaron Brinkoeter.
During WWII, the United States Army Air Force played a critical role in conducting strategic bombing raids in the European Theatre of Operations. Among the aircraft used was the B-17 Flying Fortress, a four-engined heavy bomber known for its long range and firepower.
In the English county of Suffolk, 32 airfields hosted American squadrons, including the B-17 “Little Boy Blue”, crewed by Aaron Brinkoeter, Hal Hagerty, James Bennett, John McCluskey, Leo Ramos, Walter Malaniak, William Klemm, Ronald Grey, Norris Thomas, and Amos Force.
On the 19th July 1944, “Little Boy Blue” collided mid-air with another aircraft on a bombing route to Schweinfurt, and crashed just outside Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds.
Tragically, one crewman fell from the fuselage without his parachute, while four others were recovered from the wreckage. The explosion on impact left Pilot Walter Malaniak (age 26), Co-Pilot Aaron Brinkoeter (age 24), and Radio Operator Ronald Grey (age 27) unaccounted for, denying their families closure and the opportunity for formal funerals.
Image Credit : Cotswold Archaeology
As part of a project commissioned by the US Department of Defense’s DPAA department – Cotswold Archaeology, in collaboration with Operation Nightingale, serving US military personnel, Cranfield University’s CRICC team, and the Suffolk Archaeology Field Group, conducted an investigation of the crash site aimed at finding and repatriating the remains of the three MIA crew members.
“Employing systematic geophysical surveys, fieldwalking, test-pitting, and metal detecting, the team meticulously mapped the debris field to locate aircraft wreckage, personal effects, and any potential remains,” said Cotswold Archaeology.
On the 12th September 2024, the birthday of Co-Pilot Aaron Brinkoeter, a metal detector survey recovered Aaron’s missing dog tag, inscribed: BRINKOETER AARON T-2092 T43 43. “This moving discovery provided a tangible connection to the lost airman that will stay with us all for some time to come,” added Cotswold Archaeology.
A memorial service, led by the Bishop of Dunwich, Rt Rev Dr. Mike Harrison, was held at the crash site to honour all ten crewmen and unveil a permanent memorial. In attendance were 30 family members of the aircrew who were presented with B-17 pins, crafted from the wreckage of the aircraft.
The recovery is the subject of an upcoming feature episode of Time Team.
Header Image Credit : Cotswold Archaeology
Sources : Cotswold Archaeology
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the APSARA National Authority have uncovered a guardian statue at the Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex in Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as the temple of “Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem”, or “Wat Angkor”, Banteay Prey Nokor was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII (AD 1181–1218), the first king devoted to Buddhism in the Khmer Empire.
The complex covers an area of 37 acres and consists of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall enclosures made from sandstone and laterite.
In addition to being the largest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province, it has several distinguishing features. One of the most notable is its construction from black sandstone, which sets it apart from other temples of the period, typically built from brick or reddish sandstone.
Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Archaeologists from the Department of Preservation and Archaeology at the APSARA Authority recently excavated one of the gateways of Banteay Prey Nokor, clearing away layers of rubble from the collapsed upper structure.
Upon removing the rubble material, a guardian door statue was uncovered to the right of the eastern entrance to the gateway. The statue is broken into six pieces – breaking at the neck, the left forearm, the waist, and below the knees of both legs.
According to the researchers, the statue, which originally stood at a height of around 1.6 metres, is of the Bayon style, in reference to the Bayon state temple of Jayavarman VII at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom.
“The sandstone gate guardian will now be stored at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum,” Angkor Wat’s heritage police said in a statement. “It will be preserved and studied further.”
Header Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Sources : APSARA National Authority
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt have rediscovered the Mallerbach Chapel at the site of the Kaltenborn monastery.
Between 1524 to 1525, a large number of peasants, urban lower classes, and lesser nobles living in the German-speaking areas in Central Europe rebelled against a combination of economic, social, and religious factors. These include:
Economic hardship and inequality: Peasants faced heavy burdens from taxes, dues, and rents imposed by landlords, the church, and secular rulers.
Feudal oppression: Many peasants grew increasingly resentful of the limitations placed on their freedoms by feudal lords, including restrictions on hunting, fishing, and access to communal lands.
Religious influence: The Reformation inspired many peasants who saw in it a call for social and economic reform against a corrupt church.
Legal grievances: Peasants sought greater control over local governance and justice. They were frustrated by the arbitrary decisions made by their lords and demanded more influence over the laws and rules that governed their daily lives.
Image Credit : LDA
Following the outbreak of the Peasants’ War, insurgents from the nearby villages of Riestedt and Emseloh plundered the Kaltenborn monastery near Allstedt in the German district of Mansfeld-Südharz, leading to the monastery’s decline and eventual dissolution in 1538.
According to a press statement by the LDA: “It’s destruction – an act of rebellion against the Cistercian convent of Naundorf, which was in charge of the Chapel of St. Mary and to which the Allstedt residents were subject to taxes – can be seen as the first flare-up and harbinger of the coming uprising of the ‘common man’ against the authorities.”
Recent excavations at the monastery site have located the 12th/13th century Mallerbach chapel, a sacred place of worship for pilgrims who came to witness a weeping image of the Virgin Mary.
Archaeologists have uncovered the original floor plan of the chapel, which measures around 17 metres in length with a rectangular choir and semicircular apse. Excavations have also found the altar foundations, as well as traces of burning from the time of the German Peasants’ War.
Header Image Credit : LDA
Sources : State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA)
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
-
Ghosts2 years agoZozo: The Ouija Board Demon
-
Space2 years agoScientists claim to have found the answer what existed before the Universe
-
General3 years agoUC San Francisco engaging in horrifying experiments, organ harvesting of live babies in the name of “science”
-
Ghosts2 years agoOld Coot of Mount Greylock
-
Archaeology2 years ago
New discoveries at Ekʼ Balam during conservation works