NHER 61440 (Find Spot record) - Undated, World War Two era and other modern objects, North Sea

This record details archaeologically significant material recovered during off-shore dredging within Aggregates Extraction Licence Area 511. These discoveries were reported to English Heritage/Historic England through the Marine Aggregate Industry Protocol for Reporting Finds of Archaeological Interest. See (S1) and (S2) for further details. It appears that Licence Area 511 incorporates Licence Area 319 (59944) and part of Licence Area 251 (NHER 59946).

Pre December 2015. Off-shore Dredging.
Found at Dagenham Wharf:
1 undatable unidentified wooden object. Timber, approximately 1m long and 0.2m wide with bevelled end.
See Discovery Report (S3) and reporting protocol annual report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 March 2016.

2017-2018 (exact date unknown). Off-shore Dredging.
Found at Northfleet Wharf:
1 ?World War Two aluminium aircraft fragment. Not closely identifiable, although rivets suggest it was British rather than American.
1 modern container twist lock (used for locking stacks of containers together when on board a vessel) and unidentified metal object (described as looking like the water pump off a car).
See reporting protocol annual report (S5) for further details. Discovery Reports awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2025.

2018-2019 (exact date unknown). Off-shore Dredging.
Found at Angerstein Wharf:
20+ probable World War Two munitions. This mixed collection includes heavy calibre possible naval munitions and smaller, aircraft-related rounds (including a British 20mm cannon shell and 0.50 calibre heavy machine gun shells). At least one is a 20 mm Oerlikon round used on close range anti-aircraft ship-mounted guns).
17 World War Two aircraft component fragments. Mostly aluminium probable airframe fragments, although two pieces have been identified as probable engine parts. The appearance of one of the latter suggests it is potentially German and other fragment has what appears to be a Luftwaffe-type stamp.
3 ?modern leather shoe fragments. These appear to be unrelated to the aircraft fragments.
1 modern iron mooring bollard.
See reporting protocol annual report (S6) for further details. Discovery Reports awaited. These finds were featured in the Autumn 2019 issue of the protocol's newsletter (S7).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 November 2025.