On this morning’s (Tues 1 Aug) Radio 4 news bulletin: Many interesting items have been dredged up from Portsmouth Harbour during the deepening operations to accommodate the new aircraft carrier.
Amongst the items recovered were: 1 x aero engine, 1 x human skull (handed to police), 35 anchors, 1 German sea mine, 4 x heavy bombs, 5 x cannon, old shoes and lots of other smaller items including glass bottles.
Whilst aero-engines were almost a common sight in fishermen’s nets and dredgers for around 50 years after WW2, these days they are fairly rare so may be worthy of more attention. It would be interesting to know the type of engine and the location from which it was recovered. Anyone local to Portsmouth have any further information and pictures?
Anon.
By: Rocketeer - 3rd August 2017 at 14:40
The engine in BDAC was a Bramo. Would be nice if the Jumo came over!
I should have said that stabilisation is a fun process!
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd August 2017 at 08:53
Tony, I was going to ask about this latest Portsmouth Harbour engine. The reports of the dredging say that some of the artefacts recovered have been passed to Wessex Archaeology, did that include this engine? It would after all be a very short move from Wessex Archaeology’s base at Old Sarum to the BDAC .
By: Rocketeer - 3rd August 2017 at 02:27
Wessex archaeology did a big paper on WW2 wrecks. One engine made its way to BDAC and is being stabilised
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd August 2017 at 21:36
Almost every museum seemed to have at least one sea-recovered engine at one time. Of course, with no preservation work on them they rapidly dissolved away and most met the fate suggested by T1940.
That’s a shame as they are only discovered very occasionally now. One of those situations when we might wish we had done more to save some of them.
Yes, it looks like a German engine to me too. They have probably logged where it was discovered, which may help point to a particular i/d.
Anon.
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd August 2017 at 17:49
Don’t recall that Junk Collector. But Tangmere did have one or two sea-recovered engines. All now scrapped, I think.
By: Junk Collector - 2nd August 2017 at 13:19
There was a sea salty german engine knocking around a few years ago, that was for a time at a mutual acquaintences place, Tangmere may know of it seem to think that was from there, my memory is not what it was, I remember some total twonk took all the valves out of it before it got there
By: D1566 - 2nd August 2017 at 12:18
Certainly Junmo 211, but definitely not from the ‘known’ wreck to which Whitley Project refers.
Presumably that was recovered at some time?
By: TonyT - 2nd August 2017 at 10:31
So if they weigh in the 35 anchors for scrap will that be anchors away?
hat. coat…….
By: ZRX61 - 1st August 2017 at 21:56
When I lived in Portsmouth there was usually *something* aviation related covered in barnacles sat on the quay in the Camber & then carted off for scrap after a few days/weeks.
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st August 2017 at 17:27
Certainly Junmo 211, but definitely not from the ‘known’ wreck to which Whitley Project refers.
By: Whitley_Project - 1st August 2017 at 16:33
There is a well known Ju88 that was shot down into the harbour
By: D1566 - 1st August 2017 at 11:31
Indeed;
(From http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hancrash.html)
12-08-40 9K+FS Ju88 A-1,3/KG51, shot down Portsmouth Dockyard
12-08-40 9K+BS/4078 Ju88 A-1,8/KG51,shot down by AA fire cr in Portsmouth Harbour
By: CeBro - 1st August 2017 at 11:18
Or Ju-88
By: D1566 - 1st August 2017 at 11:10
Presumably ex-Ju87?
By: Trolly Aux - 1st August 2017 at 10:47
Jumo 211 by the look of the engine mounts
By: CeBro - 1st August 2017 at 10:35
Engine looks to be German.
By: D1566 - 1st August 2017 at 09:40
Picture on this BBC report;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-40787660
By: John Green - 1st August 2017 at 09:39
I live quite close to Portsmouth but have heard nothing that hasn’t already been reported. The human skull is interesting. Could this belong to the late Lieut. Commander Crabb RN who disappeared while diving in the vicinity of the Russian naval cruiser, Ordzonikatse (the spelling is suspect). This ship – if I remember correctly – brought Bulganin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR to GB on a State visit at sometime during the late fifties or early sixties.
The story goes that Cmdr. Crabb an RN frogman of some considerable experience was asked to dive on the vessel to inspect the hull for any unusual underwater attachments or features. Crabb disappeared and not until some time later was his headless body recovered from Portsmouth Harbour. Foul play was suspected, but never to my understanding, proven.
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August 1, 2017 at 8:34 am