Battle of Britain Hurricane Excavated from a Kent Garden

PublishedJanuary 23, 2026

Hawker Hurricane
RAF Serial: P3059
501 Squadron
Crew: P/O. K. N. T. Lee (survived)
Date: 18th August 1940
Place: Whitstable, Kent

One of the four Hurricanes famously shot down on 18th August by Oberleutnant Schoepfel of JG 26, P3089 crashed on farmland. During the 1950s a house was built on the site, leaving the Hurricane’s crash location in what later became the front garden.

**Built in the 1950s, the house fortunately ‘missed’ the crash site by a few feet**

Although the site had been known for many years, the difficulty of fully excavating a well-kept garden meant that a special occasion was required. This came in May 2010, when P/O. Lee’s daughter and fellow 501 Squadron pilot “Bill” Green took part in the filming of a television documentary. Presented by London taxi driver Harry Harris, the Discovery Channel programme featured the excavation of P3089, organised by Andy Saunders.

Oh dear! We’ll put it back just as we found it! To minimise damage done to the lawn, plywood and plastic sheets came in handy

A remarkably intact Merlin engine was recovered from the bottom of the excavation, and the aircraft’s serial number, P3089, was found in two locations on the wreckage, confirming its identity beyond doubt.