B-17 salvaged from New Guinea swamp unveiled in Long Beach

B-17 salvaged from New Guinea swamp unveiled in Long Beach - The Daily Breeze

From wire service reports
Posted: 06/11/2010 01:08:31 PM PDT

More than 68 years after a B-17E Flying Fortress crash-landed in a New Guinea swamp, the salvaged aircraft, nicknamed Swamp Ghost, was unveiled today in Long Beach.

A formation flyover by a vintage P-51 Mustang and P-40 Warhawk above the Long Beach Harbor began the ceremony to unveil the recovered bomber.

The event in the parking lot of The Reef restaurant, where the plane's remarkably intact front fuselage was displayed, also included a flag presentation by the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and remarks from recovery team members.

Unfortunately, the aircraft's last four surviving crew members died shortly before Swamp Ghost returned to the United States. The plane's return was one of bombardier Richard Oliver's last wishes. His death last year denied him the privilege of seeing his warbird come home, but his widow, Linda, attended the ceremony, along with a handful of other air crew family members.

First spotted by an Australian Air Force crew in 1972, the effort to salvage and export the plane was initiated in the mid-1980s by the late Specialty Restaurants Corp. founder, World War II veteran and antique aircraft collector David Tallichet.

"My father was a young B-17 pilot flying out of England with the Bloody 100th Bomb Group during World War II," said John Tallichet, president and CEO of Specialty Restaurants.

"He never lost his passion for aviation or love of his combat aircraft, the venerable Flying Fortress," he
Advertisement
Quantcast
said. "Sadly, my father could not be here to witness his dream fulfilled. However, my family is honored to continue his vision of preserving this invaluable relic of aviation history for the benefit of future generations."

In 1996, aircraft salvage efforts were continued by Aero Archaeology founder and aircraft recovery enthusiast Alfred Hagen, who has located seven missing World War II aircraft and returned the remains of more than a dozen missing-in-action airmen to the United States for burial with full military honors.

"Much of my work has been to honor those whom we have come to know as the Greatest Generation, and we look back on their accomplishments for inspiration," Hagen said.

Swamp Ghost will be restored, possibly to flying condition, for permanent display at an aviation history museum.

 

More about it:
Pacific Wrecks - B-17E Serial Number 41-2446 (aka 'Swamp Ghost')

 

The Swamp Ghost's website: The Swamp Ghost - B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2446

 

I thought there was a thread on this B-17 already made up, but I'll be danged if I can find it with the search. I'll keep looking after I post this, and I'll merge them if somebody doesn't beat me to it!

The "Swamp Ghost" B-17 returned.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- A B-17 bomber that lay in a New Guinea swamp for decades after being forced down during a World War II combat mission has been returned to the United States after years of salvage efforts.

The forward fuselage of the so-called "Swamp Ghost" was displayed Friday at the Port of Long Beach in an emotional, patriotic ceremony attended by kin of some of the now-deceased aircrew.
　
For full article goto:

News from The Associated Press

 

Found it and merged them, don't know why I missed the first time!

 

" B17 Flying Fortress salvaged from a grassy Papua New Guinea swamp" and this! Ike's post clint..

 

Here is a link to a "slide show" of the plane as it was displayed in Long Beach last friday.

Goto:

WWII bomber 'Swamp Ghost' returned to U.S. - Yahoo! News Photos

Kind of interesting how little damage (really) that it shows after all these years.