Picture: Omrop Fryslan
Holwert, September 18, 2024 – Leemans Aircraft Recovery has successfully completed the recovery of the British warplane Vickers Wellington HE346 in Holwert, Friesland. During the operation, which began on July 29, several valuable finds were made, including human remains, personal items such as a leather flying cap and an oxygen mask, as well as parts of the aircraft like the engines, landing gear, and gun turret.
To carry out the recovery safely, Leemans Aircraft Recovery had to excavate nearly 100 meters of seawall and install a construction pit and temporary water barrier up to 8 meters deep. The complexity of this operation was high, given the proximity to the storm season. Nonetheless, the task was completed well before the October 1 deadline.
The human remains are currently being examined by the Royal Netherlands Army’s Recovery and Identification Service (BIDKL) to determine how many crew members have been found. Five crew members of the aircraft are still missing.
In addition to the Wellington, the recovery of a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 was successfully completed on August 7 in Hallum. Human remains and various parts of the plane were also found there.
Leemans Aircraft Recovery is proud of the successful execution of these complex and technically challenging recovery operations, once again proving their expertise in safely recovering historical and wartime heritage.