Coastal Warden Investigating A Wrecked U.S. Airplane Makes A Sad Discovery In The Sand

It’s December 1943 and the skies over Europe are filled with the sound of gunfire and bombs. Over on the southeast coast of England, meanwhile, 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.

First mission down

According to historical records, this ill-fated B-17 was on its first ever mission when tragedy struck. With fuel tanks punctured by anti aircraft fire, it plummeted down into the water below. But today the wreck of the bomber still sits in the English Channel off the coast of Kent, having kept its secrets for generations.

Disappearing history

Around the turn of the 20th century, though, a bank of sand swept in and covered the remains of the B-17. And slowly, the wreck began to decay. As pieces of the abandoned airplane started to drift towards the shore, a group of amateur enthusiasts banded together to protect this piece of history from disappearing altogether. 

Strange activity

But over time, the story of this B-17 took an unexpected turn. And when coastal warden Tony Ovenden visited the site in May 2021 he spotted some unusual activity out in the bay. Now almost 80 years after it crashed, the secrets of this historic bomber are being uncovered – and not everybody is happy about it.

Important symbol

It should come as no surprise that the wreck of a B-17 is important to those with a passion for history. First developed by Boeing in the 1930s, these American bombers would go on to play a significant role in World War II. And even today they are seen as a symbol of the military that might have helped the Allies to victory.

New record

Although the B-17 was initially plagued by problems, it impressed observers from the start, with one journalist coining the term “Flying Fortress.” Unlike previous Boeing models, these bombers boasted flight decks and were equipped with powerful machine guns. And they were fast, too – in 1938 one set a new transcontinental record of just under 13 and a half hours.

Entering the fray

Where B-17s really came into their own, though, was on the battlefield. Before the United States even entered World War II, the bombers were shipped to the British Royal Air Force and drafted into combat. Then in December 1941 America entered the fray – bringing their Flying Fortresses with them of course.

German factory raid

Throughout the course of the war, the Allies’ B-17s played a critical role in many battles, including those in the Pacific and Western Europe. And in 1944 a fleet of the bombers conducted a raid on German factories, crippling the mighty Luftwaffe for good. Some believe that the planes, actually, were instrumental to the Allies’ victory the following year. 

A turn

So what was this particular B-17 doing in the skies over England in December 1943? By that time, the tide of World War II had definitely turned in favor of the Allies. But the Axis powers fought on, and Germany was preparing to launch a series of devastating offensives across Europe.

On the defence

In the face of staunch opposition, Adolf Hitler had shelved his plans for world domination and shifted to protecting German-occupied territories. The onslaught, though, continued, as the Allies fought to reclaim Europe. And in the midst of this chaos, one Boeing bomber, known as B-17G 42-31243, entered the fray.

Heading for Solingen

The mission on December 1, 1943, was the first time that this B-17 had flown on a military assignment. With a crew of ten men, the bomber was headed for Solingen, a city in western Germany some 15 miles outside Dusseldorf. Located on the outskirts of an industrial complex, it was prime territory for an Allied attack.

Not part of the destruction

The British government had approved the use of extensive aerial bombing to destroy the morale of the German people. And with that decision, Solingen’s fate had been sealed. Because the city eventually sustained so much damage that little of its old town is left today. But the B-17 that now lies off the coast of Kent did not play a role in the destruction.

Seasoned pilot

At the time of take-off, though, the crew of this B-17 would have been prepared to fly into the eye of the storm. At the controls was Alan Eckhart, on the 25th mission of his combat tour. A member of the U.S. Air Force’s 303rd Bomb Group, he had started the war in Oregon – but now found himself flying many miles from home. 

Expert crew

Alongside Eckhart in the B-17 were his co-pilot Elton Jenkins, gunners Michael Musashe and Edward Madak, and George Arvanites, who was responsible for navigating the craft. Operating the radio was Fred Kuehl, while the man in charge of launching the bombs was Second Lieutenant Robert Meagher. Meanwhile, in the turret, Angelo Tambe manned the guns.

Running out of fuel

The rest of the crew, according to reports, was made up of Nyle Smith, a tail gunner, and Francis Nuener, a flight engineer. And together the ten men set off to join a raid on Solingen – but they never made it. Instead, their B-17 ran out of fuel somewhere over southeast England.

Abandoning in Pegwell Bay

In a May 2021 interview with the local website The Isle of Thanet News, history enthusiast Tony Ovenden blamed flak damage for the fateful incident. But whatever the reason, records tell us that Eckhart’s B-17 was forced to ditch in Pegwell Bay, a small inlet on the coast of Kent.

Stuck in the mud

And that was the end of the war for B-17G 42-31243, tragically. Less than two years after Eckhart and his crew crash-landed in the English Channel, the brutal conflict finally came to an end. Slowly, the scars of battle began to fade – but the bomber in Pegwell Bay remained where it’d crashed.

Smothered in sand

Over time, the landscape of the region known as the Sandwich Flats shifted, smothering the wreckage in a layer of sand. And by the time that the remains were uncovered once more, the B-17 had severely corroded. The site remains, however, one of pilgrimage for amateur historians with a passion for the aircraft of World War II. 

Digging into the wreck

Recently, though, this particular wreck has been giving up the secrets that it has kept for generations. Because as the fuselage continues to decay, the tide has been carrying parts of the plane back to shore, where people such as Ovenden collect them. But on one such excursion, he uncovered a heartbreaking truth about the historic remains. Could it really be?...

Surviving the crash

So what happened to Eckhart and the rest of the B-17’s crew when it ditched in Pegwell Bay? Thankfully, unlike many of their fellow airmen, they did not meet with an unfortunate fate. Yep, they were plucked from the water and taken to nearby RAF Manston by a British Air Sea Rescue team.

Just beneath the surface

But as the ten men who set out for Solingen were assigned other missions and duties, their faithful bomber was left to rot in the English Channel. And today, to the untrained eye, it appears to be little more than a few scraps of metal half-buried in sand. But Ovenden and his fellow enthusiasts know that all manner of treasures lie just beneath the surface.

Curious stranger

Yet someone took it upon themselves to strip the wreck of these treasures. Speaking to the Isle of Thanet News in May 2021, Ovenden said, “A few days ago I saw someone out by the B-17… he was in the water pulling at something in the fuselage area. Nearby was a small four wheel trolley. When he saw me, he walked off.”

Stealing debris

On closer inspection, it seems, the man had been removing objects from the bomber and seemed about to take them away from the site. Ovenden added, “Looking in his trolley I could see B-17 items and lumps of concretion he had been picking up from the debris field.” The concerned coastal warden thus reported the incident to the authorities.

Looters strike

It’s not the first time that the wreck has been ravaged by scavengers intent on stripping the historic site, unfortunately. Back in 1999, according to The Isle of Thanet News, an official excavation was planned to study the remains of the bomber. But before it could take place, looters struck.  

Moving in fast

Although reports do not cover exactly what these initial looters took, it was the beginning of a decline for this historic wreck. And while the authorities were able to recover some of the stolen objects, others were seemingly lost for good. Before more opportunists could move in, though, the sands of Pegwell Bay swept in.

Strange demolitian site

This meant that the wreck was effectively given protection from looters – if not from the ravages of nature. But it soon reemerged from the sand. Speaking to The Isle of Thanet News, Ovenden said, “About five years ago, the sand uncovered the site revealing what was left of the structure. That being the wings, two remaining nacelles without the engine, and a debris field in the area where the fuselage once was. In fact, it resembled a demolition site.”

Nature's work

And that wasn’t all. Ovenden added, “The elements started to take their toll on the site with items coming ashore and also appearing in the intertidal zone.” Concerned about the state of the wreck, the coastal warden acquired an official permit to collect any rogue artifacts that might wash up in Pegwell Bay.

Preserving the plane

Ovenden had his work cut out for him, as it turned out. Keen to get some assistance with his self-appointed mission, the warden started the Sandwich Bay B-17 G Group on Facebook. And as of July 2021 it boasted almost 600 members, all dedicated to preserving the history of this historic plane.

cataloguing artifacts

“I started the Sandwich Bay B-17 group to get more people involved, both locally and internationally,” Ovenden told The Isle of Thanet News. “The networking proved to be a great help, especially with identification.” Yes, with the assistance of members around the world, a number of artifacts have been cataloged and preserved.

Careful preservation

“As I found items I would start the conservation process by soaking them in a light solution of citric acid,” Ovenden continued. “I would inform the Receiver of Wreck of my find who would issue paperwork for the reported items. Once I had the correct paperwork I would then transfer them to the RAF Manston History Museum which would complete the conservation process.”

Disappearing items

But Ovenden recently began to notice that items were disappearing from the wreckage of the B-17. He said, “At first I thought this was due to the tide but it was after two Covid lockdowns that I noticed something didn’t seem right as visits to the site were not as regular.” So what was going on?

Large-scale operation

“I noticed areas of solid structure were missing around the right wing,” Ovenden continued. “Two Tokyo tanks have gone along with pipes and wiring. There is evidence of tampering and disturbance of concreted items in the debris field. I was coming to the conclusion that someone had taken items off the site in a big way.”

Caught in action

Had the looters, then, returned to Pegwell Bay? Ovenden believed that he caught one of them red-handed while keeping an eye on the remains of the B-17. He initially believed that the suspicious man was a member of his own group – until he spotted him tugging away at the fragile fuselage.

Fleeing the scene

But the man left the scene when he realized that he was being watched, according to Ovenden. Plus he’d left behind a trolley loaded with items from the B-17 – suggesting that the coastal warden’s suspicions were correct. So now history enthusiasts are concerned that the wreck could face even further damage.

At-risk site

“There is now enough evidence to suggest the site is at risk, not so much from small souvenir hunters but collectors motivated by greed,” Ovenden explained. “The area may not look much but there are still some very significant aviation archaeological items remaining, like a perfectly preserved tyre and landing gear of the left wing.”

Urgent preservation

“Some more Tokyo tanks have been revealed due to the break up of the right wing,” Ovenden continued. “It is at risk from looting as it is probably one of the few remaining B-17 sites in western Europe where someone can just walk up to and basically help themselves to a piece.”

Giving due attention

So how can we protect this historic wreck from even further damage? According to Ovenden, the right approach is to raise awareness of the crash site, rather than leaving it neglected and vulnerable to damage. Meanwhile, he has made the authorities aware of the worrying incident that he witnessed in Pegwell Bay.

Illegal tampering

Thus an investigation into the looting is ongoing. And if caught, the perpetrator could be in real trouble. According to the Services Archaeology and Heritage Association, the crash site is classed as a protected place. And that means that it is illegal to enter the wreck or tamper with it in any way.

Higher security

There are plenty of people who are prepared to break the law in return for making a quick buck, however. And the police may be a step closer to catching the man responsible for looting the B-17. Because on June 20, 2021, they released a photograph of an individual wanted for questioning in connection with the case. 

Stop stealing heritage

So Ovenden may yet see justice done. In a June 2021 interview with the Daily Mail, he said, “It’s just so wrong, it’s stealing our heritage. For your typical B-17 collector, that site is an Aladdin’s cave… When I find things in the bay I conserve our heritage. He [the suspect] is stealing it, taking it for personal gratification.”