THE remains of a Second World War fighter plane, which crashed on a test flight from Boscombe Down, were recovered from a south Wiltshire field last week.

The Curtiss Mohawk crashed in Hanging Langford in March 1941, and experts are now trying to identify whether the plane had previously seen action in the Battle of France.

Although the RAF removed the main body of the aircraft around 25 years ago, the site produced many more important artefacts, some of which will be donated to the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection.

The specific flight involved and crash site were identified by Ian Hodgkiss, of the Marches Aviation Society, based in Cardiff, after being contacted by a woman, whose father-in-law saw the impact.

Dairyman Edmond Tibbotts was working in the field when the fighter crashed just yards away.

"He just happened to be here when it happened right next to him more or less," said Jean Twigg, who now lives in Andover.

"He was the sort of bloke who didn't bat an eyelid about it, as if it happened every day."

She contacted Ian Hodgkiss at the MAS after seeing an appeal for information about a Spitfire crash at Codford, and with permission from landowner Anne Dixon and the RAF, he instigated last week's dig.

The Mohawk was an American-built fighter plane used by the French early in the war and some of the planes came to Britain after the Battle of France.

Others arrived direct from the USA for delivery across the Channel, but France was defeated before they could be deployed.

"The RAF tested the planes but they didn't quite come up to standards so we shipped them off to Asia," said Mr Hodgkiss.

"Only a few came down in Britain and this is the only one of which there's anything left.

"It's just interesting that you can go back after all these years and things are still there."

Among the pieces of wing and fuselage recovered were parts which showed the multinational feel of the plane, with instructions written in French and English.

But most important was an identification plate, showing the aircraft was the 99th built, in May 1940.

"That's the jackpot for us," said Mr Hodgkiss.

"We should be able to find out from that if it's one of the batch that went to France or not."

Boscombe Down Aviation Collection is appealing for any information relating to other crash sites in the area, especially anything relating to a P51 Mustang that came down near Old Sarum in early 1945.

Anyone able to help should contact Tony Dyer on 01980 849249 or rocketeer1940@aol.com.