Mystery of the Missing Ace

The truth about the disappearance of the RAF's "most valuable pilot". In 1944, Wing Commander Adrian Warburton went missing in action, sparking a 60-year mystery. One of the most glamorous and highly decorated pilots of World War II, he was known as "Lawrence Arabia of the sky". He became a living legend on the besieged Mediterranean island of Malta, where he flew daredevil reconnaissance missions and fell in love with a beautiful cabaret dancer.

He disappeared during a controversial American mission over Germany and for decades speculation was rife about the reasons he vanished without trace. Theories ranged from suicide to racing back to Malta to be with his one true love. But in the summer of 2002, a diverse group of historians, archaeologists and air crash investigators from Europe and America began unraveling a series of seemingly unrelated investigations. But when pieced together, they created a compelling theory about Warburton's disappearance.

What caused a German historian and a Welsh hobbyist to realise they were on the right track? Why did a burnt roll of film seem to hold the most vital clue? How did the RAF conclude " beyond all reasonable doubt" that this was the man they were looking for?

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S2003E12 - Britain's Greatest Hoax - Piltdown Man