German bomber shot down in Battle of Britain raised

A Dornier 17 German bomber aircraft which crashed into the sea during World War Two is raised by a salvage crew. Picture: Reuters

The Dornier 17, believed to be the only remaining one of its kind in the world, was retrieved from 50ft beneath sea level at Goodwin sands, near Ramsgate, Kent. It had been there for more than 70 years since being shot down off the coast during the Battle of Britain.

The plane is believed to be an aircraft – call-sign 5K-AR – that was shot down on 26 August, 1940, at the height of the battle by RAF Boulton-Paul Defiant fighters.

Attempts by the RAF Museum to salvage the relic had been hampered by strong winds over the past few weeks, but weather conditions finally turned favourable yesterday, allowing the plane to be lifted on to a barge.

It will now be restored at a site in Shropshire before going on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon, north London.

Museum spokesman Ajay Srivastava said: “It has been lifted and is now safely on the barge and in one piece.

“The operation has been an absolute success, the aircraft looks great and I believe it will be towed into port tomorrow morning.”