Just got in from Holland and I'm beat! 9.5 hr flight takes a lot out of you, that and the 9hr time difference.
Yesterday was a mixed day, we finally found the area where most of the plane was and had to leave the next morning. We wanted to try and stay a few more days but figured we better let the salvage team do their work.
We arrived in Hank at 3;45 just before they were to have a press confrence and allow the public to see the few parts they had found. A hour before it was to start they hit something with the digger! A propeller!!!!! Soon they had the area cleaned away and a chain attached. The digger was pulling but the back of the machine would lift off the ground. With some more digging out came the left inner engine with propeller.
How do I know what engine it was? They quickly cleaned the ID # and found that it indeed was the engine that sat just outside my Uncles navagation window. Along with the engine there was a lot more debris close by. It was pulled to the surface and placed in a pile to be sorted and cleaned later.
As the press confrence started we arrived, We could see from a 1/2 mile away it was going to be a big afternoon. There were bikes and cars everywhere, News cameras and hundereds of people from the village and surrounding area. Until this time we did not know what had been found. As we walked up you could feel the excitement, the locals were all pushing in closer to take oictures. We started to hear they had found things...... a part from the plane, then a propeller...a engine.. Personel effects!
I tell ya, I have never felt excitement like this before. The hail stood up on the back of my neck as soon as I saw the top of the propeller above the crowds head. Word was out that we were in the crowd and the villagers were all very excited. One lady came to me and said.....
Are you Mr Peterson? Relative to Sidney? Yes I said. Ohhhh I wish this could have been done 50+ years ago.. We owe you ( Canada and the boys who served in WWII) everything, they are our liberators, Thank you! She went on to say \" I remember hearing the planes come over at night and cheering them on, I remember wishing they would come to Holland sooner to liberate us, we owe them everything\" Let me tell you, I almost cried right there. From that point we were doing interviews and chatting with the locals for quite some time.
My brother and I finally got to look at the propeller, It was amazing! The tips were bent (Like you would see in a Hollywood movie of a crashed plane) It was as new! The prop gears were even leaking fresh oil!!!! We made our way to the engine to have a look, It was badly damaged from the crash but there was not a spec of corrosion. It turns out after the crash the plane sunk into the clay within two days, This preserved everything \"Like new\"
We looked the motor over for a long time,You could freely move the rods on the crank, only a few of the pistons were still attached. Turns out it hit very hard. There were people there who told the story of how the pilot tried to make a belly landing with the wing on fire. He came in so close to a farm house that the lady thought she was going to die. As it was about to touch down in the feild the one wing contacted the dyke and sent it into the ground where it broke up and has sat since.
As I walked around one pile of clay I looked down and saw a 303 bullit I went to pick it up and it was attached to many more, many many more! I had found a string of live ammo that ran front to rear of the plane to supply the tail and upper gunner. In this pile was belived to be crew remains, From this came a life raft, Flair gun, flares, Pump for the raft and a few other things. This was just on the surface, you could see much more in there just waiting to be cleaned and sorted.
Unfortunatly it was time for us to go....
I have kept this as short as I can, If you want to hear a little more detail just ask me next time you see me or stop in.
If you would like to drop by the shop I would be glad to show you a few artifacts I have brought back.
