TIME TEAM: Bringing Home Little Boy Blue

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Watched it yesterday. Slightly frustrated that they seemed to be digging away on one site and finding nothing while the metal detectorists were the other side of the field and running out of flags to record the gazillions of indications they were getting. Also strange that the recovery of a dog tag didn't seem to prompt a detailed recovery of remains.

So some good; some bad. Production values not what they were with C4 and too many annoying errors - "8th Army Air Force" and "B17" being some of a few, plus a curiously naïve animation of a "B-17" at one point.
 
So some good; some bad. Production values not what they were with C4 and too many annoying errors - "8th Army Air Force" and "B17" being some of a few, plus a curiously naïve animation of a "B-17" at one point.

Couldn't agree more. It was abundantly clear that the presenter didn't have a clue about the subject-matter.

They found a piece of aircraft skin with rivets in it, to which the presenter states that every one of those rivets was put in by a women. That's absolute nonsense, indeed every non-posed photo (and even a few that were posed) of US aircraft production that was shown in the episode had men and women working alongside each other. I don't wish to diminish the contribution women made to the war effort: it was absolutely vital. But they didn't do everything. Rosie the Riveter seems to have achieved mythical status.

I also chuckled at the idea of the 8th Air Force all crowding into one pub in Lavenham. It wouldn't even be a local for the boys of the 388th BG at Knettishall (Lavenham was 23+ miles away!).

For all my griping, I found it surprisingly emotional when they found the dog tag...and on the actual birthday of its owner. It was also heartwarming to see the landowner create a memorial and arrange a service at the site of the crash. Good to see there are still those who want to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
 
I notice the presenter said repair patches were soldered on, I don't think so.
We'd usually put what we called 100mph tape ( or was it 200mph?) on holes in the outer skin, then later a pop rivet patch. But if it also punchered a stringer or other structure underneath it would get repaired by real rivets, buking bar and all.
A hate to think what heating aluminum to solder it would do to the temper.
That presenter just didn't know her subject matter as she should have.
 

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