WIX Archives

Re: The report as promised...

Posted by peter on Sun Aug 18, 2002 10:16:17 AM

In reply top The report as promised... posted by Cees Broere on Sun Aug 18, 2002 08:26:02 AM

Cees:
Thanks for the report.. Dod you get any photos taken of the wreckage? What condition were the parts in that you salvaged?
Peter

:
: 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 di
: ver 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 si
: tuated, the tail was missing, we coulnd't find its locatio
: n, althoug a panel was brought up with an inspection hole
: and traces of red paint which could be of the finflash whi
: ch pointed in the direction of one of the tailfins.
:
: The fuselage was found upside down with the tailsection mi
: ssing just after the bombbay. The entire bombbay was just
: about level with the sandy bottom but covered with small m
: ossels (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 cuto
: uts where the wingtanks would have fitted into. Two engine
: s 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 pa
: rts and fittings were recovered such as some ignition swit
: ches, part of a oxygen economizer with oxygen tube still a
: ttached, swithces, a large part of the autopilot, some coc
: kpit lights in excellent condition as well as the lamp fro
: m the navigator. Also some parts from the noseturret were
: found including a complete .303 browning with a round stil
: l in the chamber, this was rendered safe immediatly.
:
: At the end of the day just before we were preparing to fin
: ish our investigation the almost intact blind flying panel
: was found with fuel cocks and when a cable was attached t
: o some debris near the cockpit, we were all stunned when t
: he entire control column was lifted on deck, the base of t
: he column was broken and the control wheel was missing, bu
: t it was complete. Strange enough an earphone of a flying
: helmet was found wedged in the controls as well as the mic
: rophone of the oxygenmask. We are sure that these were fro
: m the pilot and from all this evidence we could make out w
: hat had happened when the aircraft crashed. He is buried a
: fter 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 harbou
: r.
:
: At least now we know that as a result of our investigation
: this aircraft is for sure ED603 of 83 squadron which cras
: hed during the night of 12/13th june 1943. Four aircrew we
: re washed ashore but three others are still missing to thi
: s day. Their remains are either still in the tail section
: or washed ashore and buried as unknown airmen.
:
: Cees

Follow Ups: