h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

G for George was on the raid, but suffered some sort of difficulty before reaching the target. They turned back, and either crashed, or were shot down over Holland (my memory is on the details). The locals are quite proud of the fact that such a famous aircraft is near their town/village, and had it declared a war grave (despite the fact no-one died in the crash). Some years ago, a British historian went over to see it, and wound up bringing the tail gun turret back, and it's now displayed in a museum somewhere. The now enraged locals have been demanding it's return ever since, as it's part of 'their' aircraft.

>and probably the longest history of nicking bits that look good<

Ooh I dunno about that. Look around Rome or Venice and you will see many a nicked bit that's vastly older than the British Empire ever dreamed of living to be.

I seem to have started an argument here that I didn't really mean too. Ironically, in fact, I would tentatively suggest that mordern humans have, as a species, some sense of conservation whereas our not to distant ancestors destroyed anything that was in the way for any reason at all, dispite it's value, beauty or siginificance.