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A hiker’s recent berry-picking trip through the forest along the northern border between Poland and Germany produced more than a basket of fruit. After inspecting metal fragments found among trees near the town of Świnoujście, historians say the area may hide more remains of an Allied plane that crashed in World War II.
“The first inspection indicated that this was not a random piece of scrap metal,” Wiktor Czeszewski of Poland’s Coastal Defense Museum told TVP World, the country’s public news outlet. “The nature of the sheet metal, the rivets, the remains of the airframe and the spent ammunition indicate that these are fragments of an aircraft.”
Czeszewski’s team quickly traveled to the hiker’s discovery site, where they discovered even more remains, as well as spent ammunition dating back to a type used in British aircraft machine guns. A small tube artifact also featured an identification number possibly linked to a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Developed by the British manufacturer in the early 1930s, the liquid-cooled 27-litre V12 piston aircraft engine became synonymous with Allied fighter aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, as well as the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.
Known as Swinemünde during the German occupation, Świnoujście became a focal point of combat during the final months of World War II. Allied forces attacked industrial centers throughout the area during multiple air missions, resulting in casualties on both sides. Based on the condition of the wreckage, historians believe the plane was probably shot down by coastal anti-aircraft batteries.
Little else can be deduced from the artifacts at the moment, but museum officials are now urging local authorities to treat the area as a possible accident site. Since the remains of the pilot and crew may still be buried underground, careful excavation work is even more important.
“We still have many questions and probably more than one surprise ahead,” added museum official Milan Litwinowicz.
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