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Posted by Paul McMillan on Sat Aug 31, 2002 06:30:40 PM

Subject: Recovery of Wellington HE727 near Wilnis (Nederland)

To all fellow enthousiasts interested in the WW2 airwar:

Seven years of debate preceded the recovery of Vickers Wellington HE727, but the recovery is now about to begin. The excavation-works will start on Monday (02 September 2002). Yesterday-night a information-briefing / press-conference was held in the town-hall in Mijdrecht and detailed information was made available the public.



An up-to-date overview of facts;
16 March 1943: Wellington HE727 was assigned to serve No.428 (Canadian) Sq RAF in the airwar over Europe.
04 May 1943: HE727 took off from its base in Yorkshire for a (596 bomber) raid to Dortmund (Germany).
5 May 1943: On his way back HE727 was attacked by a Me.110 of 2/NJG 1, based at Gilze Rijen (Nederland). At approx. 02.16 hours HE727 two airmen bailed out just before the aircraft crashed in a swampy meadow some 1 km north of the village Wilnis, near Mijdrecht in the Netherlands. Major parts of the wings and the tail were recovered during wartime by German troops. Some mortal remains of the first pilot were buried under the supervision of the German occupation force. No further attempts for recovery took place because of the high ground water level in the polder-landscape.

1991: Local historians started publishing on the aircraft's crash and founded the Stichting Berging Vickers Wellington.

1995: Early plans for recovery were developed by the Stiching Berging together with the CRASH group of aviation archeologists.

March 1996: The Dutch MoD prevented a recovery by any group of amateur aviation archeologists and produced a professional view of the recovery with an cost-estimate exceeding Euro 450 000,-.

07 June 2001: A decision to recover was made by the municipality De Ronde Venen, based on promises of the Dutch government for financial contributions in the costs of the recovery. Tender procedures were initiated and the Royal Netherlands Air Force was charged with the supervision of the project.

July 2002: Tender procedures were completed and a (Euro 700 000,-) budget was assigned to carry out the civil works (including a temporary access road, underground steel plates for water barrage and a 500 m3/h drainage system), the excavation of the aircraft wreckage and the recovery of any remaining bombs and mortal remains.

29 August 2002: The drainage system and some traffic diversions were made available. The temporary access road and fencing near the crashsite were competed. From now on three weeks are scheduled for the recovery.



The main objective of the recovery is to salvage the mortal remains still present in the wreckage.
The crew of the bomber aircraft were:
F.Sgt. R.B. Moulton (pilot and commander of the aircraft, buried Wilnis 1945);
Sgt. J.E.A. Thibaudeau (bombardier, missing in action);
F.Sgt. J. White (tailgunner, missing in action);
Sgt. G.C. Carter (navigator, bailed out, POW, deceased in the 1990's);
F.Sgt. H. Hoddinot (wireless operator, bailed out, POW, deceased in the 1990's).

Additional information (in the Dutch language) and photographs can be found at:
http://www.mindef.nl:30280/nieuws/persberichten/content/270802_voorbereiding.html
and at:
http://www.derondevenen.nl/pagina.html?pag=122&stuktype=122&item=1808

Let this recovery help us not to forget the fears and the sorrow of war.
Read about Aceh, Burundi, Sudan at http://www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl/nl/cover.html


Paul

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