Possible World War II Wreckage Uncovered in Sicily

News December 28, 2021

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—An excavation at a crash site in southeastern Sicily conducted by a team of researchers led by Clive Vella of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has uncovered fragments of an American B-25 Mitchell heavy bomber and possible human remains, according to an Associated Press report. Much of the plane’s metal is thought to have been scavenged after World War II, Vella said. What was left of the aircraft was discovered in 2017 with the use of metal detectors at a site identified through the investigation of German historical records. The researchers suspect the plane’s crew had been targeting a German airstrip when it was shot down on July 10, 1943, with six airmen on board. Five of them remain missing, Vella explained. “We owe (their) families accurate answers,” he said. The evidence has been transported to the U.S. for further investigation. To read about other efforts to recover the remains of those lost during World War II, go to “Letter from Normandy: The Legacy of the Longest Day.”

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