WWII Japanese Aircraft Wrecks Salvaged at Balalae

Scrap salvers are now even removing whole Battleships! ……………………

I concur with the “save-it” mentality. No point going on about how valuable it is if it is left to rot into nothing. Best save it and even reconstruct it to show future generations what the stuff was like.

Regarding pillaging of shipwrecks and war graves: I think it utterly deplorable that people get away with this. Another example is the Tirpitz remains in Tromso Fjord in Norway. Although much was salvaged post-war (and the human remains then, allegedly, just dumped further into the fjord), the Norwegian authorities still allow (or at least, people are not prevented) access to the considerable remains that are left and eye-witnesses report human remains and uniform material, stripped of badges, etc, littering the shoreline by the wreck and others diving and plundering the underwater sections for war relics with impunty.

Around a thousand men lost their lives on that ship and there has been no concerted effort, apart from after the attack by 617 sqn, when bodies found afterwards were given an honourable burial on shore, to search and properly inter what human remains are left or, better still, leave what is left of the wreck and make it off-limits to pillagers. By all means have properly organised and careful salvage of one or two notable parts for museums by responsible parties bit pillage is unforgivable. It is almost as if the Norwegians consider it of no importance and very much the German’s own fault for the consequences of what they did.

Rant over.

Anon.

We have conspicuously failed to protect the wrecks / war-graves from the Battle-of-Jutland, whole battle-cruisers have been commercially salvaged to non-existence, so it isn’t just ‘maggots in SE Asia’ that is doing this…

…the MOD should at least salvage some artefacts from HMS Prince-of-Wales and HMS Repulse while they are still there!

We have to live in the real world these days, and the real world, at least regarding WWII artifacts, is utterly ruthless. It’s ALL about the money. Scrapping priceless aircraft is bad, but what is worse, to me, is the maggots in SE Asia who dive on the WWII wrecks to get the valuable metals, There are rumors that any human remains found, if they come up with a piece of salvaged wreck, are either dumped back over the side, or in an unmarked mass grave on land. Disgusting doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The demand for scrap metal and raw materials has been strong in Asia, creating more incentive to pick over wrecks and relics. It is a race against the clock to save anything that is left there before it either rots away or is hauled away.

Personally glad to see these being recovered as before long they would just rot into the jungle floor. As long as the locals are being compensated and something is returned to the Solomons museum i see no losers in this………….

We have to live in the real world these days, and the real world, at least regarding WWII artifacts, is utterly ruthless. It’s ALL about the money. Scrapping priceless aircraft is bad, but what is worse, to me, is the maggots in SE Asia who dive on the WWII wrecks to get the valuable metals, There are rumors that any human remains found, if they come up with a piece of salvaged wreck, are either dumped back over the side, or in an unmarked mass grave on land. Disgusting doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Across the world are relics which survive in situ because they are big,heavy, remote. That does not put off souvenir hunters which is now evn a greatr threat due to on line sales. Unless 24 hour protection is funded I can only suggest that sites are cleared to safe storage pending museum display.

I think there is a thread regarding it over on W.I.X.