EXPERTS at a Hampshire university are hoping to unravel the mystery of a British bomber’s fateful final journey in 1944.

Researchers at the University of Winchester are excavating the crash site in Germany where an RAF 10 Squadron Halifax LV881 was shot down as it was taking part in the infamous Nuremberg Raid on March 30 and 31.

They are hoping to piece together the final journey that the plane took before it crashed down in Hessen, resulting in the deaths of four of the seven-strong crew.

Researchers have unearthed personal items at the crash site in Hessen belonging to the crew including a cap badge which belonged to mid upper air gunner Hugh Birch and a penknife. They have also found parts of the plane like Perspex from the windows and plastic cable duct. The plane was attacked twice by a fighter as it approached Nuremberg, and holed in the starboard wing before its number three fuel tank burst open and caught fire.

After an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the fire, skipper Walter Regan gave the order to bail out.

Four of the crew – Ronald Tindal, Bill Norris, Norman Wilmot and Alan Lawes – managed to escape the burning aircraft. Sadly, in the chaos, tail gunner Tindal fell through his harness to his death.

Pilot Walter Regan stayed at the controls to give his crew the best chance of survival. The bomber eventually exploded above a hill near Hungen-Steinheim.

The three survivors were later captured in Germany and sent to a POW camp. They all survived and returned home. Today the aircrew will be remembered in a memorial service at the crash site.

Although now in deteriorating health, Flight Engineer Alan Lawes survives and, at the age of 92, lives near London. He will be represented at the memorial service by his two sons.

The Nuremberg Raid saw 795 aircraft sent on an audacious bombing raid on the German city.

However it came at huge cost with 96 aircraft lost with the loss of 700 men, and represented Bomber Command’s heaviest mission loss in the Second World War.

The University of Winchester’s senior lecturer in archaeology, Dr Phil Marter, said: “This study gives us a great opportunity to provide a full account of the fate of the lost aircraft and the crew for their relatives, and to create a commemorative record of specific historic events.

“We hope our work ensures that these men’s story will not be forgotten and that their brave sacrifice remains in our memories.”