GREAT BARDFIELD, England - Archaeologists in rural Essex, England, are excavating a World War II crash site, attempting to locate the remains of a U.S. Army Air Force pilot from Grove City, Pennsylvania, who has been missing since 1944.

 

Witnesses to the incident reported that the pilot did not bail out. Lowry, a member of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, has been classified as missing in action for over 80 years.

The current recovery operation is a partnership between Cotswold Archaeology, a UK-based organization, and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Previous efforts to excavate the site for remains were unsuccessful.

Lowry, who entered the service from Pennsylvania, is memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England. DPAA has categorized Lt. Lowry’s case as an “Active Pursuit.”

Cotswold Archaeology's team, supported by local and U.S. military volunteers, as well as Operation Nightingale, has been digging into the crash crater.

During the excavation, the team has recovered items that link them to Lowry’s final moments. These include charred Perspex, or acrylic glass, believed to be from the plane's windshield, and a dial used to adjust the trim of the aircraft’s wings.

Volunteers have also uncovered cockpit components. A team member recovered the cap of a lever inscribed 'TO DEFROST PULL.' On the morning of the crash, the young pilot would likely have used this mechanism before setting off on his training flight.

Another volunteer discovered a buckle believed to be from Lowry's unused parachute harness, suggesting the pilot did not attempt to exit the plane before impact.

Lowry was born in Grove City, Mercer County, in 1920. He joined the service in Pennsylvania.

The thorough recovery operation is aimed at locating the pilot’s remains after eight decades. Cotswold Archaeology stated their goal is to bring Lt. Lowry home.

The DPAA, the U.S. government agency tasked with accounting for missing personnel from past conflicts, continues to assess the case as part of its ongoing efforts to recover and identify unaccounted-for American service members.