WWII: Shifting Sands Reveal Hidden Plane
Really, it was the photo that got me. The image I’ve used here is a screen shot from the original story posted at ABC News. (Click here to read.) What you’re seeing is an American P-38 fighter plane that made an emergency landing in 1942 on the Welsh coast. It’s been buried under sand and water for 65 years until erosion of the beach revealed the wreckage in July. Do I even need to say, “How danged cool is that?”
But wait, it gets better. Using the serial number to track the plane, it may well be the oldest of its kind in existence and the oldest plane that flew with the 8th Air Force to have survived. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery has surveyed the site and will collaborate with museum experts in Britain to recover the craft which, though fragile, is largely intact. A number of museums have expressed interest in the find.
The exact location of the plan is being guarded since the archaeologists need to stay ahead of potential looting to protect their find. When the tides expose the plane, it is being guarded, however for the time being the craft is once again safely encased in sand. The U.S. Air Force regards planes lost prior to 1961 to be “formally abandoned” and would only get involved if human remains are found, which won’t be the case with this plane.
The pilot of this plane was 2nd Lt. Robert F. “Fred” Elliott of Rich Square, N.C. He was forced to make a belly landing when he ran out of gas on a training mission on Sept. 27, 1942. Elliott, who was just 24 at the time, was shot down three months later on a combat mission over Tunisia. Neither he nor his plane was ever recovered.
Want to poke around some more blogs? Take a look at Buy Mobile Phones from a Vending Machine on mobilitywatch.com or read Final Cut Express 4 Now Available on applereporter.com.
WWII, World War II, P-38, historic aircraft
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