‘ it fails utterly to provoke the imagination. How can it, in comparison with the sight and sound of a live aeroplane thundering along the flightline ?’

I beg to differ slightly. Yes. ‘live’ aircraft ‘thundering along the flightline’ are stunning and very exciting for many including myself, I love seeing airshows and displays. However in it’s current state it is my opinion it would be more hard hitting and representative of the sacrifice of a war which although decades ago must be remembered by not just ‘us’ but also generations to come

John,

I accept that there is a place for both. However, I would rather see relatively insignificant wrecks restored, which have little in the way of original parts in any case, than see a genuine time capsule restored, and much of it thrown away. As it is, it represents so much more than its original purpose.

If one was to paint Stephen Grey’s rather lovely P40C, currently airworthy at Duxford, in the exact markings of the aircraft in question, what would be the difference, from your point of view?

Bruce

I was thinking almost exactly the same thing about repainting an existing airframe.
I think in my own humble opinion that the aircraft’s remains would look rather more poignant if displayed as part of a suitably well-lit diorama, in an unrestored state with artifacts placed as they were found, showing the cost of war in its brutal reality which will stick in the minds of all who see it including the younger generations.
Perhaps to compromise for the people who wish it to be restored, half the plane/some parts could be restored whereas the rest left unchanged.

I have just endeavored to read this thread from start to the current date and I must say I am shocked and and appalled at the notion of a potential war grave robbery such as this.
It is a pity no other real witnesses to the ‘recovery operation’ have felt able to give a definitive account of the dig.
It would be interesting to do another perhaps dare I say more official dig with the CWGC in attendance to ascertain whether any traces of the crew were missed, were scattered further in the field on impact, hence the lack of discovery of remains, or where indeed removed.

Could the GAF paint a few tornados to look like the Luftwaffe?:)

Could just harken back to ‘Eagle’s Over London’ and use the ‘North American JU 87 ‘Harvastukas’ and ‘Messerspits’