Remains of the First Supersonic Rocket, Found in South East England

By Polly Rosie -

Conflict archaeologists and brothers Colin and Sean Welch discover the remains of a V2 rocket fired by Germany at London during the Second World War. The crashed and exploded projectile was found in a field in South East England, miles from its intended target.

The launch of a German V2 Supersonic Rocket aimed at London.

This is the sixth major excavation of German “vengeance weapons” carried out by the Welch brothers, who have spent more than a decade investigating rockets launched at the English capital but German forces.

The Rocket Exploded on Valentine’s Day

Their latest discovery was made near Platt, a village in close proximity to Maidstone. The archaeologists unearthed more than 1,790 pounds of metal debris, including large portions of the missile’s combustion chamber, which is presumed to have exploded around midnight on February 14, 1945, several months before the end of the war.

Aerial view of the farmland where the remains of the V2 rocket were found.

The site where the V2 rocket was found is currently open farmland but at the time of the crash was an orchard. The impact occurred far enough from any houses in the region, limiting casualties to only one person, an elderly woman who had her hearing damaged by the noise of the blast.

They Unearthed the Fragments in Less Than a Week

The Welch brothers used a mechanical digger and shovels to unearth the bomb crater, which was filled with dirt after the end of World War 2. They also used metal detectors to pinpoint the location of the deepest fragments, some of which were found at a depth of 14 feet. They spent a total of four days excavating the remains of the German V2 missile and now will spend the next 18 months conserving the objects and writing an archaeological report for the county's historical archives.

The Welch brothers using a mechanical digger to unearth the German V2 rocket.
Throughout their careers, both archaeologists who called themselves - Crater Locators - have discovered the impact sites of dozens of German V1 flying bombs, a precursor to modern-day cruise missiles, which were launched mostly from catapults. The V2 rocket is an excellent addition to their already impressive portfolio.