German bomber shot down in Blitz to be preserved

WORK is being carried out to preserve a rare German wartime bomber which was discovered on a sandbank 70 years after it was shot down during the Battle of Britain.

The twin-engined Dornier 17 first emerged from Goodwin Sands, a 14km-long sandbank off the coast of Deal, Kent, two years ago, a spokeswoman for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum said. Since then the RAF Museum has worked with Wessex Archaeology to complete a full survey of the wreck site, usually associated with ship wrecks, before the plane is recovered and exhibited as part of the Battle of Britain Beacon project.

The spokeswoman said the aircraft, known as a Flying Pencil, was part of a large enemy formation which attempted to attack airfields in Essex on August 26, 1940, but was intercepted by RAF fighter aircraft above Kent before the convoy reached its target.