A Coastal Warden Investigating This Wrecked U.S. Airplane Made A Sad Discovery In The Sand
It’s 1943, and the skies over Europe are filled with the sound of gunfire and bombs. Then, on the southeast coast of England, an American bomber comes crashing down into Sandwich Bay. And for decades, its haunting remains lie undisturbed – until one coastal warden makes a heartbreaking discovery.
This ill-fated B-17 was apparently on its first-ever mission when tragedy struck. Its fuel tanks punctured by anti-aircraft fire, the plane plummeted down into the water below. And the wreck of the bomber still sits in the English Channel, its secrets kept for generations – until now.
But around the turn of the 21st century, a bank of sand swept in and covered the remains of the B-17. Slowly, the wreck began to decay. And as pieces of the abandoned airplane started to drift towards the shore, a group of amateur enthusiasts banded together. They wanted to protect this piece of history from disappearing completely.
Then the story of this B-17 took an unexpected turn. And when coastal warden Tony Ovenden visited the site in May 2021, he spotted unusual activity out in the bay. Now, almost 80 years after the historic bomber crashed, its secrets are being uncovered – and not everybody is happy about it.
Surely some folks are ecstatic about the discovery, though? Particularly WWII historians. You see, the B-17 played a significant role in that conflict. Even today, the plane is seen as a symbol of the military might that helped the Allies to victory.
