Author Topic: Raise WW2 airplane from water or preserve? (Read 1268 times)

LePaul · « **on:** July 14, 2003, 11:55:19 AM »

Story at http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.cfm?ID=404428&

SEBAGO LAKE — AP — A lawyer for a company that wants to salvage World War II planes from the bottom of Sebago Lake said he would turn over any remains of the pilots so they could be properly buried. But that assurance doesn’t appease U.S. and United Kingdom officials, who are embroiled in a legal fight over the remains of two British Royal Navy pilots, who were both 19 when their planes collided and plunged into the lake on May 16, 1944. An adventurous wreck hunter and a wealthy aircraft collector have found at least one of the Corsairs at the bottom of Sebago. The fate of the two fighter planes and the pilots’ remains is the subject of an international legal dispute over ownership and a philosophical clash over how to best honor the men. "We still plan to go recover two Corsairs from Sebago Lake and, if any human remains are encountered, to treat them with all respect and dignity and turn them over to the local authorities and would expect them to be buried with full military honors," said Peter Hess, lawyer for the Historic Aircraft Restoration Corp. But Hess will first have to persevere in U.S. District Court in Portland, where the government of the United Kingdom is protesting the effort. The governments of Maine and the United States are supporting Britain’s effort to prevent the war grave from being disturbed. "I don’t know of another situation where any court has allowed commercial exploitation of a military grave site," said James Gould, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer representing the British. The pilots, 2nd Lts. Vaughan Reginald Gill and Raymond Laurence Knott, were both from Leigh-on-Solent, Hampshire and were among a group of pilots training in Maine, many of whom would later serve in the Pacific on the British aircraft carrier HMS Vengeance.

Furious · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2003, 12:12:05 PM »

If two F-16's collided today, would we just leave them there and call it a "military grave"?

Furball · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2003, 12:12:15 PM »

its a war grave. should be left as it is.

Furball · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2003, 12:13:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Furious
If two aircraft collided today, would we just leave them there and call it a "military grave"?

but its not today, they have been there undisturbed for nearly 60 years.

LePaul · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2003, 12:20:53 PM »

It struck me as pillaging...get the plane, if body found, do what they must...so long as they get the plane.

Fishu · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2003, 12:37:21 PM »

If it'd be me, I would prefer to be buried back at the home lands or own country (properly, not somewhere in the forrest or bottom of the lake of my country.. of course), regardless of the years my body would been left in it's "war grave".

Thats just my opinion, in case someone would bother to argue over the matter if someone would be willing to do it.

Furious · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2003, 01:18:48 PM »

Dead people don't care. Get the planes.

davidpt40 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2003, 01:51:22 PM »

Raise it, Corsairs are more important than bones.

Creamo · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2003, 02:04:09 PM »

Yup, just forgotten bones, but if they raise them, they get some fitting attention to their plight and cause, and a proper burial. Seems quite fitting to me.

Also, then the world gets more of these magnificent machines to ponder and wonder at.

I don’t see why anyone would want to prevent so much good from such a tragedy.

Furball · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2003, 02:14:02 PM »

lets raise the arizona while we are at it!

LePaul · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2003, 02:25:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Furball
lets raise the arizona while we are at it!

I wondered if anyone would say that (or the Titanic, but its so severely decayed)

Creamo · « **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2003, 02:33:52 PM »

Of course someone would have replied something that ridiculous Lepaul if they thought their initial post was somehow discounted or made moot by a rational reply that they could not possibly discount.

It’s the "Reply" inevitable of the Post/Reply part of O’Club Forum.

SKurj · « **Reply #12 on:** July 14, 2003, 03:50:37 PM »

Saw abit of that Bismark documentary, and they mentioned they were not going to bring anything to the surface (i believe) stating because its a war grave.

leave the planes down there.

There's only one reason there aren't more of these planes around ... $$ always potato peelin $$

Seems life/death has no price anymore... What next? damn that was a $3500 casket we just buried my great aunt in... hey in 10 years lets dig it up and put it away so we can reuse it...

SKurj

Sixpence · « **Reply #13 on:** July 14, 2003, 04:14:49 PM »

I think it should be up to remaining family members, sons or daughters. They might want a proper burial. I wouldn't want my dad sitting at the bottom of a lake in another country. I would want him resting with the rest of the family.

Creamo · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2003, 04:15:47 PM »

"What next? damn that was a $3500 casket we just buried my great aunt in..."