R.I.P.: Remains of WW2 Russian aircrew in P2 fighter-bomber found

[ATAG_Snapper]

Located in a Polish river, thought to have crashed in January, 1945 while Nazis were being driven back to Berlin:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/08/25/world-war-ii-plane-crew-remains-found-in-polish-river-bed/?cmpid=cmty_twitter_fn

[farley]

Hopefully they can track down their families and give the crew a military funeral. Yes, RIP.


Wasn't sure what Cyrillic was, so wiki'd it: "Cyrillic script is an alphabetic writing system employed across Eastern Europe and north and central Asia. It is based on the Early Cyrillic, which was developed during the First Bulgarian Empire in the 9th century AD at the Preslav Literary School. It is the basis of alphabets used in various languages, past and present, in parts of Southeastern Europe and Northern Eurasia, especially those of Slavic origin, and non-Slavic languages influenced by Russian".

eg:

The Russian alphabet
А а Б б В в Г г Д д Е е Ё ё Ж ж З з И и Й й
К к Л л М м Н н О о П п Р р С с Т т У у Ф ф
Х х Ц ц Ч ч Ш ш Щ щ Ъ ъ Ы ы Ь ь Э э Ю ю Я я

[b0czek]

More photos (descriptions in Polish):
http://fakty.interia.pl/galerie/kraj/wrak-samolotu-z-ii-wojny-swiatowej-i-szczatki-lotnikow-odnal-zdjecie,iId,1908774,iAId,170699#1908774

[Vlerkies]

I always get an uncomfortable shiver down my spine when I read posts or news like this.
This is partly due to my interest in our collective history, much more so about those that paid the ultimate price (whatever side), but also about the insanity of it all!

Another thing that maybe others can weigh in on is, why, when a wreck is discovered in the ocean, be it a ship or u-boat or whatever, it is left untouched yet on land it is less of an issue?

[ATAG_Freya]

Trophy hunters, I'd say. Best exhumed by experts / historians before the site is looted. Sad, really.

[ChrisBlair]

Kind of an old thread now, but traditionally 'war graves' are left alone. Yet finding a plane in this condition and with the pilot's remains inside is not that unusual it seems, and sadly for better or worse it's more common now that the aircraft is salvaged and the remains removed.

In the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Warbirds International, they covered a story about a well documented P-39 that was found, a VVS aircraft. The logs and document case were with the plane. So were the remains of the pilot. Researchers even found out that he departed his flight unexpectedly on a regular transfer flight to a new base, not combat. Tins of canned lend-lease food were in the wing ammo bays. Pilot was a 22 year old man named Baranovsky, still had his decorations when he died. Harnesses undone. They figured on landing on the icy lake Mart-Yvar he was knocked out and drowned while unconscious as the plane sank. LT. Baranovsky was buried with full military honors. He was wearing his Glory Order III and his Military Red Banner Order decorations when he died on 19 November 1944; an accomplished and decorated pilot. Nobody knows why he suddenly left the formation.

Issue is Vol 24, #26 if anyone is interested. A fascinating read.