Last remaining Dornier 17 heads to Cosford for restoration
The last surviving Dornier Do 17, which will be restored at RAF Museum Cosford, was yesterday evening successfully lifted from the Goodwin Sands.
After three years of planning, and several weather related delays, experts yesterday returned to the wreck site and completed the lift.
Shot down in 1940, the wreckage is the world's only surviving Do-17, a German aircraft type that played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain.
The Dornier 17 was part of a large enemy formation intercepted by RAF fighter aircraft at midday on 26 August 1940 as they attempted to attack airfields in Essex. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on the Goodwin Sands at low tide after an attack by Defiant fighters of No 264 Sqn stopped both engines and left the crew wounded.
The Dornier, flown by Feldwebel (Flt Sgt) Willi Effmert attempted a wheels-up landing on the Goodwin Sands. He touched down safely and the aircraft sank inverted. Effmert and his observer were captured but the other crewmen died and their bodies were washed ashore later.
The Dornier 17 will now travel to the RAF Museum Conservation Centre at Cosford, members of the public can view its restoration from this weekend.
Peter Dye Director General, Royal Air Force Museum said: “This incredibly complex and delicate operation was made possible by a dedicated team of Museum staff and a wider group of partners and associates who gave their time, money or knowledge to help us achieve this goal.
"We would like to thank all those involved as we embark on the second stage of the project and deliver the aircraft to our conservation centre at Cosford. Members of the public wishing to see the Dornier while it is being conserved are invited to do from this weekend onwards.
"Today as the Royal Air Force Museum takes stock of its success in raising the Dornier 17 from Goodwin Sands, it is appropriate to remember those who gave their lives during the Summer of 1940. In honouring a fallen German airman, we commemorate all those young men, from across the world, who died in the service of their country. The freedom defended by Britain at great cost in 1940 was built on tolerance, compassion and understanding. In remembering the sacrifice made by the airmen of both sides, we demonstrate our enduring belief in a future based on reconciliation, cooperation and shared values."
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