2023:902 - Derrygimlagh, Galway

Excavation took place of a series of test holes in the hope of retrieving metal component parts from the Vickers Vimy which carried John Alcock and Arthur Brown on the first non- stop trans-Atlantic crossing on June 19, 1919.  On completion of their historic journey they crash-landed on a flat bog near Clifden, causing a great stir. Their 16-hour journey ended when they landed adjacent to the Marconi Radio Transmission Station from where they radioed of the successful completion of their mission. As it crash-landed, the plane wheels sank resulting in the nose penetrating the peat to some depth. Over the course of 13 days the plane was dismantled and removed off-site for re-assembly at the Science Museum, London, where it sits today. The local committee believe that some metal component parts may have fallen off on impact with the ground or maybe while the plane was being dismantled. In June 2019 a gradiometry survey of the believed landing site was carried out yielding c. ten hot- spots where expected metal objects or parts thereof, were anticipated. No metal or any other objects were recovered from the peaty ground which was dug to between 0.6m and 1.3m.