I noticed a snippet in the news stating that a Vickers Wellington wreck will be recovered from the IJsselmeer in The Netherlands. The area is to be cleaned up as the council is planning to use the area for sand mining. A company has been contracted to build up a dam around the wreck so that the area can be pumped dry before recovering the wreck and most likely some bombs and remains as well. The Dutch Air Force is also involved in the project. The aircraft was most likely shot down during the night of 8-9 May 1941. I’m sure someone else will know more details.
If you read Dutch, the press release is here: http://www.defryskemarren.nl/publicaties/nieuwsberichten_42743/item/berging-vickers-wellington-uit-ijsselmeer-start-in-augustus_36947.html
There are two files linked at the bottom of that page, the second one has a few Wellington pictures in it, including a few from the Loch Ness recovery it seems.
By: Flying_Pencil - 13th September 2017 at 22:39
Good news, closed a chapter.
Pity aircraft is just fragments, but then it was war.
By: CeBro - 11th September 2017 at 15:58
Typical journalism: fighterpilots……..
Cheers
Cees
By: ericmunk - 11th September 2017 at 13:40
Attended by a large number of family members, Polish representatives and people who played a part in the recovery of this crew, the last crewmembers were laid to rest last Wednesday in Amsterdam.
Background story on the family of one of the airmen now recovered: https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/jachtvliegers-na-76-jaar-plechtig-begraven-op-de-nieuw-ooster~a4515371/?utm_source=link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shared%20content&utm_content=paid&hash=8baf54c114827ccdbcf715151f9410c81bcd1dc5
Press release of the MoD on the funeral: https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2017/09/06/poolse-bemanning-bommenwerper-met-militaire-eer-begraven
A book on the flight, crew, crash and recovery was also released recently: Lest We Forget.
By: DaveF68 - 3rd July 2017 at 14:42
Thanks for the update, that’s good to hear.
By: ericmunk - 3rd July 2017 at 11:52
Catching up to news, in early May it was announced that all three remaining crew members of this Wellington have now been identified.
The remains of plut. r/op. strz. (Sgt.) Henryk Franciszek Sikorski and kpt. obs. (P/O) Maciej Wojciech Socharski were recovered from the wreck site in 2016 and have now been identified. They are expected to be buried with their fellow crew members in Amsterdam in the following months.
Partial remains of plut. r/op. strz. (Sgt.) Stanisław Pisarski were also recovered from the site in 2016, and match those in the grave of an unidentified Polish airman in Amsterdam (above), leading to a positive identification. The nameless headstone is expected to be replaced with one bearing his name.
Overall an excellent outcome I would say…
(background information http://www.polishwargraves.nl/ned/r.1322.htm)
By: ericmunk - 17th June 2016 at 16:32
R1322, 305 Squadron?
Moggy
It is hoped to be this aircraft yes. Three crew members still missing.
By: Moggy C - 17th June 2016 at 16:00
R1322, 305 Squadron?
Moggy
By: CeBro - 17th June 2016 at 15:37
What a load of propaganda.
He also claims this is the first time such an operation is carried out.
During the early seventies a B24 was recovered using a similar technique.
Cees
By: CeBro - 17th June 2016 at 15:34
It’s fragmented Peter
Cees
By: Peter - 17th June 2016 at 15:31
That does seem an odd comment.. Hopefully it is in decent shape.. hmm wonder if Karl wants a wellington>>??
By: CeBro - 17th June 2016 at 15:29
The recovery officer claims that if this is not the aircraft thought to be, “others” have some explaining to do, and not the RNeth Recovery Team.
What a strange remark, as we all know that Wellingtons are especially difficult to identify:confused:
Cees
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June 17, 2016 at 2:43 pm