rafmatt
October 22, 2012 at 4:29 pm

Finding a Warbird

I have a question?

If i was to be walking through the woods and came across a crashed WW2 warbird. Who does it belong too?

Finders Keepers?
The originating Country/Government?
The country it is found in?
Or in some cases the landowner of the land its found on?

I’ve seen some air frames for sale that have been recovered and I wondered how the company/person has come about owning them?

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By: TomDocherty72 - 22nd October 2012 at 20:18

Wreck

Is it an Egyptian Stirling?

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By: Melvyn Hiscock - 22nd October 2012 at 18:14

But the real question is…… Will it be……….

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By: Arabella-Cox - 22nd October 2012 at 18:10

Its much more complicated than that….

And as for US aircraft (excepting US Navy) if it was lost prior to 1962 then the US government (USAF or its predecessor organisation) lay no claim to it.

There are also Lend-Lease considerations, sometimes. Lots of factors.

The PMR Act, by the way, is silent on ownership although HM Receiver of Wreck also has an interest in wrecks below HWM.

I did, in fact, write a paper some while ago; “Who Owns Them Anyway?” (not yet published)

Really, quite a complex issue!

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By: TonyT - 22nd October 2012 at 17:24

Suppose it depends what country and who owns the land, in theory in the UK they would still belong to the crown, certainly in the USA it belongs to its ex owners.. Other thing is war grave etc.

The Buffalo was a case in point of dubious deals.