The revelation of the Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" fighter, with its
distinctive twin-boom design, has stirred interest in British aviation
circles and among officials of the country's aircraft museums, ready to
reclaim another artifact from history's greatest armed conflict.
Based on its serial number and other records, "the fighter is arguably
the oldest P-38 in existence, and the oldest surviving 8th Air Force
combat aircraft of any type," said Ric Gillespie, who heads a U.S.-based
nonprofit group dedicated to preserving historic aircraft. "In that
respect it's a major find, of exceptional interest to British and
American aviation historians."
Gillespie finds romance as well as historic significance in the
discovery of the aircraft, long forgotten by the U.S. government.
"It's sort of like 'Brigadoon,' the mythical Scottish village that
appears and disappears," he said. "Although the Welsh aren't too happy
about that analogy - they have some famous legends of their own."
Gillespie's organization, the International Group for Historic Aircraft
Recovery, learned of the plane's existence in September from a British
air history enthusiast and sent a team to survey the site last month.
The group plans to collaborate with British museum experts in recovering
the fragile but nearly intact aircraft next spring.
The Imperial War Museum Duxford and the Royal Air Force Museum are among
the institutions expressing interest.
"The difficult part is to keep such a dramatic discovery secret. Looting
of historic wrecks, aircraft or ships, is a major problem, in Britain as
it is worldwide," Gillespie said.
British aviation publications have been circumspect about disclosing the
exact location, and local Welsh authorities have agreed to keep the
plane under surveillance whenever it is exposed by the tides of the
Irish Sea, he said. For now, the aircraft is again buried under sand.
Officially, the U.S. A ir Force considers any aircraft lost before Nov.
19, 1961 - when a fire destroyed many records - as "formally abandoned,"
and has an interest in such cases only if human remains are involved.
The twin-engine P-38, a radical design conceived by Lockheed design
genius Clarence "Kelly" Johnson in the late 1930s, became one of the
war's most successful fighter planes, serving in Europe and the Pacific.
About 10,000 of the planes were built, and about 32 complete or partial
airframes are believed to still exist, perhaps 10 in flying condition.
Another P-38, part of a "lost squadron" of warplanes marooned by bad
weather in Greenland while being flown to Europe in 1942, was recovered
and extensively restored with new parts. Dubbed "Glacier Girl," its
attempt to complete the flight to Britain earlier this year was thwarted
by mechanical problems.
The Wales Lightning, built in 1941, reached Britain in early 1942 and
flew combat missions along the Dutch-Belgian coast.
Second Lt. Robert F. "Fred" Elliott, 24, of Rich Square, N.C., was on a
gunnery practice mission on Sept. 27, 1942, when a fuel supply error
forced him to make an emergency landing on the nearest suitable place -
the Welsh beach.
His belly landing in shallow water sheared off a wingtip, but Elliott
escaped unhurt. Less than three months later, the veteran of more than
10 combat missions was shot down over Tunisia, in North Africa. His
plane and body were never found.
The records say the aircraft
was salvaged, but it wasn't," Gillespie said. "It was gradually covered
with sand, and there it sat for 65 years. With censorship in force and
British beaches closed to the public during the war, nobody knew it was
there."
It was first spotted by a family enjoying a day at the beach on July 31.
The discovery was stunning news for Robert Elliott, 64, of Blountville,
Tenn., the pilot's nephew and only surviving relative. He has spent
nearly 30 years trying to learn more about his namesake's career and
death.
All he knew of the Wales incident was a one-line entry saying Elliott
had "ditched a P-38 and was uninjured."
"So this is just a monumental discovery, and a very emotional thing,"
said Elliott, an engineering consultant. He said he hopes to be present
for the recovery.
