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The report as promised...

Posted by Cees Broere on Sun Aug 18, 2002 08:26:02 AM

In reply top Tomorrow morning at 04:30 AM posted by Cees Broere on Fri Aug 16, 2002 04:07:41 AM



Well, I didn't get much sleep to begin with, the heat was to blame in this case.

After a four hour trip by boat we arrived at the location and the divers were sent down to investigate. The first diver went in and came up again within seconds. He had found one of the propellors, which was sticking upright out of the sand as a memorial.

During the entire day we investigated how the wreck was situated, the tail was missing, we coulnd't find its location, althoug a panel was brought up with an inspection hole and traces of red paint which could be of the finflash which pointed in the direction of one of the tailfins.

The fuselage was found upside down with the tailsection missing just after the bombbay. The entire bombbay was just about level with the sandy bottom but covered with small mossels (very sharp too, my vingers are full of scars).

At first sections of the wings were brought up but nothing recognisable, then some wingribs appeared with large cutouts where the wingtanks would have fitted into. Two engines were located and marked with buoys to get an impression from the boat how the postion of the wreck was.

Then the cockpit was found, from this a large amount of parts and fittings were recovered such as some ignition switches, part of a oxygen economizer with oxygen tube still attached, swithces, a large part of the autopilot, some cockpit lights in excellent condition as well as the lamp from the navigator. Also some parts from the noseturret were found including a complete .303 browning with a round still in the chamber, this was rendered safe immediatly.

At the end of the day just before we were preparing to finish our investigation the almost intact blind flying panel was found with fuel cocks and when a cable was attached to some debris near the cockpit, we were all stunned when the entire control column was lifted on deck, the base of the column was broken and the control wheel was missing, but it was complete. Strange enough an earphone of a flying helmet was found wedged in the controls as well as the microphone of the oxygenmask. We are sure that these were from the pilot and from all this evidence we could make out what had happened when the aircraft crashed. He is buried after having been washed ashore some days after the crash.

After a long day we had to go back again four hours and we were exhausted when we finally arrived back in the harbour.

At least now we know that as a result of our investigation this aircraft is for sure ED603 of 83 squadron which crashed during the night of 12/13th june 1943. Four aircrew were washed ashore but three others are still missing to this day. Their remains are either still in the tail section or washed ashore and buried as unknown airmen.

Cees

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