The mysterious discovery of an “airplane blade” buried in the marsh
This object was probably broken from an airplane during a crash on Aran Island.
During the recent ecological restoration of a sponge marsh on a Scottish island, an excavator hit something solid: an airplane propeller blade that was once attached to a military plane that crashed during World War II.
The blade was buried in the heights of Coire a'Bhradain on the Isle of Aran on the west coast of Scotland. Several planes crashed on this island during the war.
The origin of this butterfly blade is still unknown, as it was discovered far from the known crash sites. Researchers are surprised by its unique packaging.
“On closer inspection, we found that the object was wrapped and packed in a potato sack,” said Derek Alexander, head of the archeology department. The issue that has made this discovery, which was found somewhat far from the previous crash sites, more attractive. Alexander speculates that the object was separated from one of two planes that crashed in the area: a B-17 Flying Fortress or a B-24 Liberator, both of which used a propeller like the one found.
About a decade ago, researcher Terence Christian conducted an archaeological survey of the area and mapped several crash sites. Based on his research, researchers know this blade is the closest to the wreckage of the B-24 that crashed in August 1943, killing all on board.
In the 1940s, the height of Aran (2,867 feet above sea level) was a challenge for fighter planes. The B-24 was descending through low cloud and obscuring visibility when it encountered the Aran Mountains and crashed into the steep cliff of Beinn Nuis.
Christian thinks the newly discovered propeller may have been found during the initial clean-up of the crash site in the 1940s, or perhaps during National Trust operations in the 1980s. Keith Sampson, the trust's senior ranger in Arran, said: “It appears to have been ready to travel as it was found with the rope still tied around it. “We think that someone may have dragged the butterfly down the hill, where it has sunk deep into the swamp.”
Bogs are wetland ecosystems with permanently submerged layers of partially decayed organic matter. They can be found on all continents. Plantations are a vital source of combating climate change due to their ability to absorb carbon. The Trust's restoration efforts will help ensure that Scotland's woodlands continue to be useful for future generations in the long term.
Researchers have not yet reached definitive conclusions about the origin of this aircraft propeller. It is still possible that the object was detached from a B-17 whose crash site was partially looted during excavations in the 1980s.
