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F-15's, the RAF, and a German bomber
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PapaJoe



Joined: 09 Nov 2020
Posts: 73
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:23 am    Post subject: F-15's, the RAF, and a German bomber Reply with quote

During my last USAF deployment prior to retirement in 1997, a fellow fighter pilot and I flew a 2-ship of F-15's from Keflavik, Iceland, to RAF Leuchars in Scotland. While there, we lodged at the Officer's Mess on base. One morning. I joined a young RAF officer at his table for breakfast, and he told me a story I will never forget.

As a young lad, he had cultivated an interest in World War II aviation, and subsequently joined a team that located and excavated decades-old WWII aircraft that had crashed or made an off-field landing during the war. But one such adventure had put an end to his enthusiasm and caused him to walk away from his passion.

His group had heard of and would investigate a Luftwaffe bomber that had crashed in a UK marsh and sunk beneath the shallow muck. Once in the general vicinity, the team was directed by a local elderly Gent to the area where the bomber had met its demise. Soon, they located the wreckage and commenced an archeological dig around it to document their findings.

The airframe was in remarkably good condition with little battle damage and minor deterioration. The team located the fuselage entry point and pried open the hatch. Inside stood the remains of the crew preserved in a desperate attempt to egress the airplane. They had drown in that position unable to escape.

After identifying the remains, the team accompanied them back to Germany where they were returned to their families and buried with military honors.

At this point in his recollection, the young officer looked up and stared at me intently. He told me he had quit the team, at least for a while. He described looking into the faces of the unfortunate crew when the hatch opened. We tried to imagine the agony of their final moments.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22423
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a sobering experience, that must have really brought home to him that he was looking at more than just a crashed piece of machinery.

RJ
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