Dornier Do 17Z Wing Section

On 26 August 1940, this Do 17 German light bomber was attacking RAF fighter stations when it was met by No. 264 Squadron flying Defiants. After exchanging fire, it was forced to ditch on the Goodwin Sands, off the coast of Kent.

The damaged aircraft flipped upside down when it impacted with the sea, and sank. Two of the four crew were killed (wireless operator Unteroffizier Helmut Reinhardt and bombardier Gefreiter Heinz Huhn), and their bodies later washed ashore. The remaining two crew members (pilot Feldwebel Willi Effmurt and observer Unteroffizier Herman Ritzel) were captured and became prisoners-of-war. The aircraft was recovered from the seabed in 2013. It was treated with a citric acid solution in hydration tunnels, to remove marine deposits and stop corrosion, stabilising the airframe. The technique was developed by scientists at Imperial College London. This Do 17 is the only surviving aircraft of its kind.