iscover
A WWII-era RAAF bomber lost on a mission in 1943 has been discovered off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera.
Baltimore FW282, which had been operated by the RAAF’s 454 Squadron and crewed by officers from Australia, New Zealand and the UK, was found last year in 61 metres of water by Greek technical diving group AegeanTec. The RAAF has now publicly confirmed the plane’s identity.
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The discovery answers the 82-year-old mystery of the whereabouts of three members of the bomber’s crew, who were declared missing and believed dead when Baltimore FW282 was attacked by German fighters over the Aegean Sea and forced to ditch.
While the pilot, RAAF Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) William Alroy Hugh Horsley, managed to escape the aircraft and swim to shore where he was captured, the navigator, RAF FLTLT Leslie Norman Row, as well as two wireless operator/air gunners, RAAF Pilot Officer Colin William Walker and RNZAF Warrant Officer John Gartside, were never found.
“This aircraft discovery is significant and offers the chance to provide closure to families,” said Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell.
“The efforts of groups such as AegeanTec are critical for us in accounting for those 3143 Australian aviators with no known grave from the Second World War and the Korean conflict.
“I am pleased, alongside my colleagues from the RAF and RNZAF, to this week to be able to announce the find and for us to acknowledge, collectively, the bravery of this combined crew of aviators from our three nations.”
RAF Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, acknowledged the “bravery of the multinational crew” and the close ties between the RAF, RAAF and RNZAF.
“This was a generation who embodied the importance of service and comradeship. Their efforts were the base on which the RAF continues to maintain the security of the UK at home and abroad,” he said.
“Their sense of duty inspires future generations of all of our Air Forces.”
RNZAF Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, also expressed New Zealand’s gratitude to AegeanTec for the find.
“I hope will bring some sense of closure for the families. The sacrifice of this brave crew has long been remembered, especially by their families, and we can now honour their final resting-place with the respect they deserve,” he said.
While there will be no further recovery effort, the RAAF intends to coordinate a memorial service for Baltimore FW282’s crew.
