WW2 bomber tire surfaces after 74 watery years

ERJ staff report (BC)

Haywards Heath, UK – A two-metre diameter tire from a Vickers Wellington N2767 second world war bomber aircraft was exposed during the recent storms that battered southern England, the Mid Sussex Times reported. The tire was found by a dog walker on Pett Level beach, Hastings, East Sussex.

Volunteers from the WW2 Wings Museum (at Balcombe, West Sussex) raced to the scene to recover the tire it before it was washed away again. Museum curator Daniel Hunt said: “A hasty decision was made to recover it before the sea reclaimed the relic.

“It took a considerable amount of effort to extract the tire from the sand and at one point it almost seemed impossible. But with a lot of determination from the team [of five] the tire was finally salvaged [by hand] from the soft sand and wheeled ashore for the first time in 74 years.”

The Wellington’s six-man crew had a miraculous escape on 9 November 9, 1940. Hunt said: “While cleaning out the tire the team noticed a very clear hole caused by a German flak splinter.

“No doubt the aircraft was hit by flak over its target [Düsseldorf, Germany] and sustained some form of damage which could have contributed to the aircraft running out of fuel.”

All six crew members were rescued later that night after the plane had limped back to the English coast.

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Full story from Mid Sussex Times from Mid Sussex Times