75 YEARS LATER WWII PILOT’S GRANDSON STUMBLES UPON A CRASHED PLANE WRECKAGE THAT REVEALED SOME HIDDEN SECRETS
World War II was a very dreadful event that shook the world to the core. Even today, we can see its residues scattered around several places. So much happened during the war that there were so many stories which were left unheard. According to the official data, on average total casualties which happened in WWII ranged between 70 million to 85 million. Casualties that happened directly due to war that affected the war military and civilians are around 50-56 million. In addition to these numbers, around 19 to 28 million people suffered from the aftereffects of WWII.
But why are we talking about WWII? There is a reason for that because back in 1944 a plane crashed but the thing was that the wreckage of the crashed plane was missing. According to the last location which was recorded on the radio the wreckage was nowhere to be seen. Then where did the wreckage go? And was there even a crash? Or was is it just a false alarm from the pilot’s side? What actually happened that day and what made the pilot’s grandson intervene after so many years of the incident?
The Beginning Of Everything
The high altitude of remote place Norwegian mountainside, Phil Richardson, grandson of Ron was trekking the place in search of his grandfather Ron’s fighter bomber plane wreckage which people believed crashed in the same area he was walking around in search of some clues that were missed back then between all the chaos. Luckily, a stranger found the wreckage of the plane and Phil was on his way to discover something astonishing in the middle of everything. What did he find other than his grandfather’s missing plane? You will find out soon.
The Beginning Of WWII
As WWII reached across Europe, its battlefields took several other drastic and devastating forms. But while the forces from both the sides fought to each other on the land and the sea, one more battle was fought in the sky between the planes of opposite forces. WWII showed how important aerial warfare was, in fact, the world in the 20th-century realized the importance of the air force.
New Strength
Though we have seen a drastic change in the air force, it wasn’t until WWI the fighter planes became the most important part of the warfare. Their production started on a large scale after the countries realized that air force has the capability to change the direction of the winds in the favor of that one country who has the advantage of fighter planes. By the end of WWI, countries realized that aerial warfare would soon become the most important part of the army.
Major Changes In The Force
Countries like Britain, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States saw the role which air force played in the WWI. By the time WWII kicked in all these countries were working really hard to get better in the aerial airfare and the scientists of each country were trying to build the more advanced and unique and fast aircraft so that their country has an upper hand in the WWII. In 1939, Britain, Germany, the Soviet, and the United States were ready to barge in and WWII saw some major and advanced aircraft in the history of the war.
Strategically Important
The aircraft became strategically very important for the countries and they placed the base camps of these air forces on those positions where it was really easy for them to travel long distances. But it was Germany’s Luftwaffe who shocked the world and terror in enemy armies with the help of Stuka dive bombers. But, they weren’t able to keep the production to a level where they could win a war.
New Invention
As WWII progressed, the British were able to develop an advanced radar technology which helped them to raid the areas more forcefully. Including the power of seismic bombs, the Allies were stronger than before. Their power brought destruction that caused shiver in the spines of the enemy Allies. But between all of this, there was a fighter plane pilot whose life was about to take a sharp turn.
Battle Of Britain
In July 1940, the sky was not only filled with clouds but fighter planes too. Speeding in the sky shattering the clouds they made their way to shatter the world down them. During WWII when people saw the sky to find hope all they saw was the fighter planes. The Battle of Britain saw a campaign where the German Luftwaffe launched a trail of serious bombings while the Royal Air Force defended their homeland. Even today, this campaign is known as the first aerial event in history.
The Royal Air Force
It was the Royal Air Force who won the Battle of Britain, even then, the Luftwaffe didn’t stop the bombings on the United Kingdom. This bombarding is famously known as the Blitz which destroyed a large part of the London, England and several other cities in Britain. Around 20,000 civilians suffered the wrath of this huge bombarding in the capital alone.
When War Was Over
By the time the war was over, aerial force proved that it was the most important part of the war. The Allies forces won over the Axis forces and it was the air force that brought the victory near them. But the win didn’t come easy as there was a cost that the Allies’ forces had to pay. It was estimated that nearly 60,000 British pilots lost their lives in WWII. The fatality rate was almost 50 percent.
Things Changed
Time passed and it changed for the betterment of the British airmen and the mortality rate didn’t go much high. Commander Phil Richardson, a pilot with the Royal Navy, must have sighed with relief when he found out that seven decades later things changed for every soldier in every corner of the world. Back in 1944, it was his grandfather Ron who disappeared from the face of the earth during his mission to Europe, and the family who waited for his return never found out what actually happened to him.
My Dear Grandfather
When Phil was a kid his grandmother used to tell him about her husband whom he never met in person. “He was in the Navy, he was a fighter pilot in World War Two and did incredibly brave things. The inspiration that it gave me made me want to join the Navy and try to emulate him,” Phil told in the interview with the BBC in January 2019.
Following His Footsteps
Phil always saw his grandfather as a war hero. He followed his grandfather’s footsteps and became a pilot. He joined the Fleet Air Arm, a branch of the Royal Navy that are responsible to fly the naval aircraft. His grandfather holds a very important place in his heart and it was because of him he joined the navy in the first place. But then, after 72 years, Phil came closer to his grandfather’s past that was lost in time.
Similar Scene
In 2017, Phil was going through YouTube when he saw a video about the plane wreckage of a Flying Grumman Hellcat Bomber which was the same plane that his grandfather used to fly during WWII. And the surprising part was that the wreckage was discovered in Norway where Ron’s plane crashed in the past. Phil was really surprised to see that some stranger found the wreckage but before he could say anything for sure he needed to be sure if this wreckage belonged to his grandfather’s plane. And then he found something else in between of all the wreckage.
Reaching The Destination
After Phil watched the video, he was ready to uncover the mystery behind his grandfather’s disappearance. The location was on a remote mountain situated in the Arctic Circle. The wreckage was at a height of 3,000 feet and was covered in snow. However, because of the warm weather which took away some snow from the wreckage revealed it which was found by some stranger who later uploaded a video and it was Phil’s luck that he saw that video which helped him in solving his grandfather’s disappearance.
Spotted Something Else
Somehow, Phil was able to recognize the site where the plane wreckage was present. It was the same isolated area in Norway’s northern coast where during the WWII, the Tirpitz, a German battleship which was considered as a prized possession in the army. And Phil’s grandfather Ron was assigned to destroy it completely during WWII. Things started to make sense to Phil and then he was able to find out that one lost information about his grandfather that changed everything he knew about him.
We Are Sure
Using this new information about Ron’s final mission during WWII, he and his father Alistair reached an unbelievable conclusion. “Three Hellcats were lost during the operation and this crash site corresponds with the location, flight plan, attack route. We are certain it is my grandfather’s aircraft,” Phil told in the interview with Daily Mail.
Ron’s Backstory
According to the family, Ron was a simple man who worked as an electrical engineer and lived in New Zealand. Like many of his close friends and colleagues, even he responded to the Commonwealth’s call when they asked for volunteers to participate in WWII. Soon, he signed up for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. And he was all set to become the pilot.
Love Of His Life
After joining the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, Ron became a pilot. He spent three years of his life in the cockpits of Hellcat and Spitfire planes. He was stationed in England, where he met the love of his life. His love story started after he received a romantic letter which was meant for another man who had the same name as his. But it was their fate which brought them together.
Letter Of Love
Ron opened the letter and after reading it, he replied, to it even though it wasn’t for him. Surprisingly, Sheila responded to the letter and their love soon blossomed into a beautiful relationship and in 1942 the couple decided to get married and they settled in Esher, a beautiful place in southern England. Things were looking great for the newly wed couple but then no body would have thought that WWII was just around the corner.
New Member In The Family
Two-years later their first child Alistair was born. Sadly, the baby boy wouldn’t see his papa for another six weeks and he returned back to the base camp leaving behind his loving wife and child alone in the house. Sheila wasn’t getting very good vibes and deep inside her heart, she was feeling that something was going to happen. This weird feeling in her heart didn’t want Ron to leave but then things don’t always go the way we want.
Far From Home
“My grandmother remembered him walking off down the garden path knowing that she would never see him again,” Phil told in the interview with Daily Mail. “She had some sort of premonition.” Away from home, Ron was ready for his dangerous mission. He was assigned to the HMS Indefatigable.
First Attack
On August 22, 1944, Britain’s Royal Navy planned out their first attack on the Tirpitz in Kaafjord. Tirpitz was the most advanced battleship ever built by a European navy. Even Winston Churchill the then British Prime Minister was aware of its great strength that posed a great threat to the United Kingdom. He ordered the army to destroy the ship as early as possible before it caused any further damage to the army.
First Bombing Raid
The Royal Navy had only one mission, destroy the Tirpitz. The sky was filled with air carriers and was moving towards the target to eliminate it for once and all. However, the first bombing raid wasn’t able to harm much and their first attempt was declared as a failure. The largest battleship was standing tall and unharmed. But the same day in the evening, the British prepared the fighters for the second attack, but even that attack didn’t bring any success.
Third Attempt
After two unsuccessful attempts, British forces prepared themselves for another attack on the Tirpitz. And this time Ron Richardson was also present who led his own squadron. His team was hovering over the skies of Norway, ready to fulfill the order which directly came from the Prime Minister of Britain. But then he met the most dreadful fate which changed everything for everybody.
He Got Hit!
The protective smokescreen made it very difficult for Ron to see clearly and aiming for the vessel was really difficult for him and his men. They had to take some actions otherwise it would be too late for anything. His men bombarded the battleship, but Ron wasn’t lucky enough. There was smoke coming out his plane which alarmed every sensor in the aircraft. According to witnesses, his plane was light seen drifting away in the clouds. The brave airman was lost forever never to seen again by anyone. Back in Esher, Sheila skipped a heartbeat when there was a letter which was sent to her informing her about the incident which stated that her loving husband was missing and presumed dead.
Life Ahead
“From what she has told me, my grandmother was devastated,” Phil said in the interview with Daily Mail. “She had lost her husband but was never sure what happened to him and lived her life with lots of unanswered questions. But she is an extremely stoic lady and she had a responsibility to bring up their son and get on with life.”
The Footage
Years later, Phil stumbled upon a footage of the aircraft wreckage and he emailed the guy, “I emailed him and I said, ‘Would you be willing to share the coordinates of where you found this aircraft because I am the grandson and I would just like to try and find closure,” Phil told in the interview with the BBC.
Found It!
The person who discovered the wreckage happily shared the coordinates with Phil and he was there in the remote area with his father. After five-hour trek they reached the location where they found the wreck of the Hellcat. “We found an almost complete but disintegrated Hellcat aircraft that had hardly weathered or perished as it has spent most of every year since covered in snow,” Phil told the Daily Mail.
What Was Left?
“There was virtually no rust on it as if it had crashed last week. The rubber seals on the fuel pipes were as if they were still new. We saw parts of the fuselage still riddled with bullet holes. And the tail was very clearly still intact in one piece,” Phil told the BBC. “It’s clear that he only just clipped the very top of this mountaintop here, and he was very close to getting away with it and surviving,” Phil continued. So, what happened to Ron?
Did He Escape?
According to Phil, after talking to the locals of that area about the crash, they found out that some of them recalled the crash where people checked out the site and even removed the bodies from the plane. Ron’s body was treated with every respect it deserved and was buried by the Germans in the local burial ground. This information brought some peace in both Phil and his father’s heart who had no idea about their father.
Said Their Prayers
The local took them to the spot where they believed Ron now rests. “We said a prayer there, we left the cross and we reflected on the area where Ron spent his last moments,” Phill told the BBC. Currently, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has reopened Ron’s file and are looking into the matter. Phil and Alistair are now home and they even brought some answer back for Sheila who had no idea what actually happened to her husband. “I am 75 now, not 25. I am satisfied and am at peace now I know what happened to my father,” Alistair told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, this event has given Phil life a new meaning, “Seeing the extent of the wreckage really moves me. I compare it to my own flying career in the Navy and know how close to dangerous situations I have been in. But, fortunately, I have always come out the other side of them,” Phil told the BBC.
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