The phenomenon of ‘Aviation Archaeology’ – finding the wrecks of long-lost aircraft – has captured the public’s imagination and millions have watched the TV documentaries as legendary machines have been lifted from their muddy graves. Popular history shows such as Channel 4’s TimeTeam and BBC2’s Time Watch and Meet the Ancestors – have featured these excavations, as have one-off prime-time documentaries. This books follows the excavations, the history and the men and women who made the programmes happen – the Spitfire Hunters – to tell the fascinating inside story.
Programmes featured:
Simon W Parry is now one of Britain’s leading aviation historians, but his roots are in Surrey where he began his research into the battles and aircraft crashes in the county 30 years ago, a time it was possible to interview many witnesses to the events. His interest in the air war lead him to become a profession researcher at the National Archives, undertaking assignments for those not able to conduct their own investigations. Since the publication of his first book in 1987 he has focussed his attentions on the editing and production of over 40 aviation books for publishers. He is also one of Europe’s most experienced aviation archaeologists, contributing to several TV shows, and is now working with Channel 4 on a documentary about the Dambusters.
