A Propeller Blade From A WWII Aircraft Was Discovered Wrapped In Potato Sacks In A Peat Bog Off The West Coast Of Scotland
An artifact from World War Two wrapped in potato sacks was uncovered in a peat bog. It was found in Coire a’Bhradain on the Isle of Arran, which is located off the west coast of Scotland. The object turned out to be a propeller blade from an aircraft.
Experts from the National Trust for Scotland are trying to determine the type of plane that the propeller came from. Since it was spotted outside of the areas of two known crash sites nearby, it is the subject of debate.
“We are intrigued by the discovery of the propeller blade, which certainly looks to be from a WWII plane,” Derek Alexander, the head of archaeology with the National Trust for Scotland, said.
“There are two previously known plane crash sites further up the glen on the steep cliff side of Beinn Nuis, but this object was found outside the mapped spread of debris from both of these, which has caused some uncertainty about which aircraft they belong to.”
The propeller was initially discovered by a contractor carrying out peatland restoration work when he “hit something solid and metallic.” At first, he had thought that the potato sacks might have contained human remains.
Experts have narrowed down the origins of the plane part to a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress or a B-24 Liberator from the Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego. Both of these planes crashed on Arran and used the same propeller blades.
In 2013, an archaeological survey was conducted, and according to the study, it is known that the propeller blade was unearthed closest to the crash site of the B-24. The aircraft had been carrying 11 people on board when it crashed on August 24, 1943, resulting in all the crew’s and passengers’ deaths.
“The bodies were recovered from the crash site shortly after, but the locations are still protected today under the 1986 Protection of Military Remains Act,” Alexander said.
“We are not permitted to remove wreckage from such sites without first obtaining permission—so the accidental discovery of a propeller blade, without the known spread of fuselage debris, that had obviously been previously moved is quite an unusual situation.”
Helen Hotson – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Further analysis will allow researchers to learn more about how the propeller ended up in the peat bog. The potato sacks in which the propeller was found can be dated to identify when it was removed from its crash site.
The plane part may have been gathered in the 1940s while the site was being cleaned up immediately after the impact.
Or, it could have been moved around during excavations by the National Trust in the 1980s.
Right now, it’s too early to tell, but researchers are hoping to get to the bottom of the mystery soon.
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