DATELINE: 18th September 2001

CORSICA PLANE
Divers are to recover what is left of human remains from the wreck of an American WWII B17 bomber which ditched into the sea off Corsica in 1944.
British diving businessman Steve Carmichael-Timson, of Mereworth in Kent, recently informed the US Embassy in London that the plane - designated as a war grave under French law - had had its guns, cockpit instruments and a whole nose section removed by 'visiting' divers.
The US response was to commission Steve's company, Sea-tech Exploration, to search for and raise the remains of three crew who were in the plane when it crashed. Any remains found will be returned to the US for burial.
When the plane was attacked by fighters, it lost two of its four engines and the pilot, after attempting to nurse the bomber back to safety, was forced to ditch.
All but three of the crew managed to abandon the plane and were picked up by an RAF launch.
Those who did not make it out had been killed during the aerial fight. They were the tail gunner, middle gunner and radio operator.
Should remains be successfully returned to the US, those waiting to bury them with full military honours will include relatives and several of the plane's surviving crew.

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