The salvage operation in the North Sea for containers that fell overboard from the MSC Zoe has also recovered remnants of three World War II aircraft.
Translation by Traci White
In the water north of the Wadden Islands, a section of the tail of an American Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft was recovered, along with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine block and a Bristol Hercules engine last week. Hundreds of bombers and fighters crashed into the North Sea, Wadden Sea and on the Dutch mainland, many in Friesland and Groningen, during World War II.
Major Bart Aalberts of the Aircraft Recovery Logistic Centre in Woensdrecht told the Leeuwarder Courant that the centre will endeavour to identify the exact aircraft in order to determine if any crew members from the crashed planes are still reported missing.
In order to ensure that any potential human remains at the site are not disturbed, the Dutch Air Force is the only entity in the Netherlands authorised to handle aircraft crash sites. The sections of the planes that were raised did not include any portions of the cockpits, which would be the likeliest location for any missing persons to be found.
Salvage company BDS Harlingen is processing the containers and their contents which continue to be raised from the ocean floor. The company is working with other businesses to recycle as much of the material which fell overboard from the MSC Zoe in early January as possible. Salvage ships have also recently recovered hundreds of car tyres and children’s scooters from the containers.
Photo source: Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker/Wikipedia
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