Archaeologists in Kent find secret factory codes stamped into remains of a World War 2 missile
ITV News Meridian's Abigail Bracken takes a look at the secret factory codes stamped into the remains of a V2 rocket
Archaeologists have found secret factory codes stamped into the remains of a rocket, discovered during an excavation.
The discovery was made after half a tonne of the V2 missile was recovered from a site in Westerham, Kent.
The codes will help historians understand how the deadly weapons were still being made near the end of the World War 2, when so many factories were destroyed.
First launched against Britain in 1944, V2s were the first long-range guided ballistic missile - reaching supersonic speeds, and killing thousands when they hit their target.
In September, archaeologists and volunteers excavated the remains of the V2 that exploded in Westerham in March 1945, which killed one man and wounded dozens. The Westerham rocket is one of ten excavated in detail by Research Resource Archaeology, who are hoping to find out how these rockets were made at the end of the war.
Colin Welch, from Research Resource Archaeology, spoke to ITV News Meridian's Abigail Bracken about one of his findings
He said: "This is known as a key.
"So this was attached to the bottom of this graphite vein shoe and consequently, because it was at the bottom of the rocket next to the launch pad.
"It was the last thing to leave the Hague in Holland as it was being fired towards London and landed in the field at Westerham."All of these findings are now being catalogued, and archaeologists hope this will one day become part of an online museum.
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