Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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The wreckage of a bomber was found in one of the fjords in Norway, which after initial examination was classified as a Royal Air Force machine. The wreckage found at a depth of about 185m is the remains of a Halifax bomber, which, as has been established, most likely took part in the attack on the legend of the Kriegsmarine – the German battleship “Tirpitz”.
This very interesting discovery was made while working on a pipeline in northern Norway. At some point during the work they came across an unusual object. The group of students working on the project immediately decided to send an ROV to the bottom to take a closer look. Shortly after, an image from the inspection robot’s camera revealed the previously unknown wreckage of a Halifax bomber. As a result of the work undertaken, it was possible to establish that it was almost certainly unit W7656.
A decision has already been made to place the wreck under special protection as a war grave, as it is likely that the remains of the two missing crew members of the Halifax, which was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire in 1942 during a failed attack on the most powerful warship of the time, the battleship “Tirpitz”, are still inside.
After being hit, the Halifax crew still managed to make an emergency water landing, after which four of the six crew members, happily evacuated. However, it is not known what happened to the navigator, Senior Sergeant Albert Columbine, and radio operator Arthur Evans. They most likely drowned when the machine went down.
It is worth mentioning that the tail gunner, Sergeant Pomroy, was still trying to find his colleagues. Unfortunately, the aircraft was sinking very quickly and Pomroy had to evacuate himself and then join his three colleagues waiting on the raft.
The four British airmen, adrift in a life raft, were rescued after three hours by Norwegians. They were then handed over to the German authorities occupying Norway at the time. The surviving crew of W7656 spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Germany.
There have been many attempts over the past seven decades to locate the missing Halifax W7656, but none have been successful. It was not until an object was accidentally encountered during engineering work on the pipeline that the search was successful. Interestingly, the deep and cold waters of the Norwegian fjord preserved the wreck in perfect condition.
Although no markings could be found on the wreck to help establish its identity beyond doubt, no one in England doubts that it is unit W7656. As historians and experts on the subject explain, this is indicated above all by where it was found.
The Norwegians immediately informed the British embassy and the Norwegian Air Museum about their find. For the time being, it is not known what will happen next with the wreckage and whether further action will be taken to find and retrieve the remains of the two missing RAF airmen.
“The remains of the bomber still belong to the UK, but are in our care as they rest in Norwegian waters. We have reason to believe that there are still remains of the two airmen inside the wreckage and according to Norwegian law, no one is allowed to carry out any exploration of the site without obtaining the appropriate permits. Any exploration will require the use of divers and this remains the responsibility of the British authorities,” said Anders Utjaard, head of the Norwegian Aviation Museum.
“Tirpitz” photographed during a raid
A representative of the British embassy in Oslo confirmed that a notice of the find had been received by the post and preparations and consultations with the RAF historical department as to the action to be taken on the matter are currently underway.
The press also reports that the descendants of Albert Columbine are pleased that the plane has been found, but would like their father’s eternal peace not to be disturbed and do not wish his remains to be excavated.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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