P-47 recovered in Germany

Except that, in this instance, I think it important to make it clear that Uwe Benkel does not pursue these cases for monetary motivations or to pass on wrecked airframe identities for use in the warbird restoration/re-creation industry.

Good point. I didn’t think of online auction sites and other monetary motivations.

I would suggest that the value of flogging pieces on ebay far exceeds the scrap value these days HP111. And of course there is always the chance that your trophy may have added value if it is used to provide a spurious identity to a new-build replica aircraft, but that is a whole different can of worms.

Just musing and apologies if I am stating the obvious. This is an interesting incident in that it helps put these things in perspective. As we all know, there are two possible reasons from a historical viewpoint for carrying out a recovery on an old crash site. Firstly to recover any remains of the crew or at least to try and identify them. Secondly, to recover for preservation in some form the remains of the aircraft itself. Which of these two motivations predominates on a particular recovery will depend on the nature of the site and on who is carrying out the recovery. I see no obligation (other than dealing with human remains appropriately) for one to include the other. Oh, and other reasons for a recovery include clearing an obstruction and obtaining materials for their scrap value (does that happen these days?). Then at a lesser level there is souvenir/trophy hunting and casually picking up an item on the surface.

Very well put Andy…that is something that annoys me at times about forums like these, the armchair critics. Someone has taken the time to get off their backside and investigate, hopefully identify, a previously unknown crash. I hope the pilot escaped unharmed but if he didn’t then then they will certainly help give some closure to family. It seems that some people think it is not worth investigating if there is a chance of finding a complete recognisable aircraft….

‘Rumours exist so that people can prove/disprove them and not just speculate’

Very concisely put, Andy. More power to you and everyone else who tries to identify these guys.

P-47 recovered? It seems to me as though all that they got was a cartload of muddy, corroded scrap metal and a parachute buckle and piece of leather jacket. 🙁

The rationale of Uwe Benkel, Mike J, in conducting this and other excavations is to search for missing crew or clues as to their identity and fate.

As I understand it, this was the purpose of the recovery and it may yet be the case that this cartload of muddy, corroded scrap metal will unlock a mystery and give a name to the burial of a previously unknown airman. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time such an outcome has resulted.

About four years ago, in France, a project I led uncovered a smaller cartload of muddy, corroded scrap and unlocked the mystery of an unknown RAF pilot buried nearby. The result was that the unknown headstone was replaced in a MOD/RAF organised ceremony last year to Fg Off Derek Allen, DFC, of 85 Sqn who had been lost in May 1940. (Here: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?118230-Formerly-quot-Missing-quot-RAF-Fighter-Pilot-Honoured-France-20-July-2012&highlight=Missing+Battle+of+France+Pilot ) Without that muddy corroded scrap the mystery would have endured and the family would never have known. The value to the family was, and is, inestimable.

Just trying, here, to put that cartload of scrap into some sort of context.

Thanks, TonyT, for posting this. The video was a treat, although clearly they didn’t dig very deeply. Your link also leads to a link to the full Stars and Stripes story (at the end), where the mystery of the Thunderbolt’s identity, and the fate of the pilot, are mentioned:

Benkel said he should be able to identify who was at the controls from bits of recovered evidence. Paint on parts of the tail suggest the Thunderbolt belonged to the 83rd Fighter Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group. Using serial numbers on various parts, he’ll comb through war records to identify the exact plane and its pilot.

“Then we’ll see what we find out about the pilot,” Benkel said, “if he was killed, if he made it by parachute or if he’s still MIA (missing in action).”

Regards,

Matt

P-47 recovered? It seems to me as though all that they got was a cartload of muddy, corroded scrap metal and a parachute buckle and piece of leather jacket. 🙁