Search

Newsletter image

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Join 10k+ people to get notified about new posts, news and tips.

Do not worry we don't spam!

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Long lost WW2 bomber flown by hero Brit on daring raid before being shot down by Nazis found on seabed after 80 yrs

Published on April 04, 2025 at 02:41 PM

A LOST Second World War bomber shot down by the Nazis with a British airman aboard has been found after 82 years.

Leslie Norman Row, from Gravesend, , was flying a mission over the Mediterranean when his Baltimore Bomber was attacked.

Underwater wreckage of a World War II bomber.
RAAF Baltimore FW282 has been found on the Greek seabed 82 years after it was shot down
Diver exploring a WWII plane wreck underwater.
The attack bomber was on a mission to map the Greek coastline when it crashed into the Mediterranean
Diver exploring a WWII plane wreck underwater.
It was finally located 61 metres down beneath the Aegean Sea

The plane, part of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), crashed off the Greek island of Antikythera, and Leslie and two comrades lost their lives.

Now, after almost 82 years of uncertainty, divers have brought closure to the families of the dead, finding the bomber 61 metres beneath the Aegean Sea.

Harry Green, president of the Gravesham and Ebbsfleet branch of the Royal British Legion, said the young airman had made the ultimate sacrifice.

He said: “He died in the name of his country, and that in itself says it all.

“He’s given up his life, he’s given up his future, and all his family.

“It’s taken a long time to find the plane, and respect to the people who have gone out and found it.”;

Leslie, a navigator, flew his final mission on December 3, 1943, when he and his comrades were tasked with photographing the Greek coast.

Also killed were air gunners Colin William Walker of the RAAF and John Gartside of the Royal Air Force (RNZAF).

The only was the Aussie pilot, William Alroy Hugh Horsley, who was handed over to the Germans and spent the rest of the war a prisoner.

After his release, Horsley described how they had been returning from their mission when they were engaged by two Messerschmitt Bf 109s.

He later recounted: “The Me-109s delivered seven attacks, during which the aircraft was set on fire in the port wing.

“The intercommunications systems were destroyed, and Pilot Officer Walker and Warrant Officer Gartside wounded – extent unknown.”;

What followed was a rough landing at sea.

He wrote: “When I regained consciousness the aircraft was submerged at the nose, and sea water was up to my neck.

Black and white photo of Leslie Norman Row, a British airman.
Leslie Norman Row was flying the plane and lost his life in the attack
Black and white photo of William Alroy Hugh Horsley in a military uniform.
William Alroy Hugh Horsley was the only survivor of the crash, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of the Germans
Black and white photo of a Martin Baltimore bomber in flight.
The bomber's final mission was on December 3, 1943

“I released my safety harness, stood up and the aircraft submerged under me.

“I swam over the spot where the aircraft submerged, but no-one else left the aircraft, which sank in deep water about 300 yards from the northern shore of Antikythera.

“I then swam to shore in full sight of the spot until picked up by some fishermen from Antikythera.”;

For 81 years the plane would remain hidden.

But last year AegeanTec, a Greek technical diving group, rediscovered it.

Believing it to be the lost plane, RAAF Baltimore FW282, they contacted the and Heritage Branch of the Aussie air force.

Underwater wreckage of a World War II bomber.
AegeanTec, a Greek technical diving group, rediscovered the wreckage last year
Underwater wreckage of a WWII bomber.
Air marshal Stephen Chappell, chief of the RAAF, said he hoped the find would bring closure

Now the identity of the missing plane has been confirmed.

Air chief marshal Richard Knighton, Chief of the Air Staff at the RAF, said the discovery highlighted the longstanding relationship between the three air forces.

“It’s an honour to acknowledge the bravery of the multinational crew,”; Sir Richard said.

“This was a generation who embodied the importance of service and comradeship.

“Their efforts were the base on which the RAF continues to maintain the security of the UK at home and abroad.

“Their sense of duty inspires future generations of all of our air forces.”;

Air marshal Stephen Chappell, chief of the RAAF, hoped the find would bring closure.

“This aircraft discovery is significant and offers the chance to provide closure to families,”; he said.

“The efforts of groups such as AegeanTec are critical for us in accounting for those 3,143 Australian aviators with no known grave from the Second World War and the Korean conflict.

“I am pleased, alongside my colleagues from the RAF and RNZAF, to this week to be able to announce the find.

“And for us to acknowledge, collectively, the bravery of this combined crew of aviators from our three nations.”;

Air vice-marshal Darryn Webb, chief of the RNZAF, echoed the sentiment.

He said: “I hope this will bring some sense of closure for the families.

“The sacrifice of this brave crew has long been remembered, especially by their families, and we can now honour their final resting-place with the respect they deserve.”;

Three Royal Air Force officers in uniform.
Lleft to right: RAF Chief of Staff Richard Knighton, RAAF Chief Stephen Chappell, and Chief of RNZAF Darryn Webb
Black and white photo of Colin William Walker.
Colin William Walker was an Australian gunner who lost his life
Black and white photo of John Gartside, a British airman.
John Gartside, a New Zealander, was the other gunner who died in the crash

Row was born on March 2, 1918, to Albert Edward and Florence Mabel Row.

A commemorative biography of him on the Gravesend Grammar School website lists him as a former pupil, back when it was The County School for Boys.

It says he appeared in a school production of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, was a prefect, and played in the school’s first XV rugby team.

Leslie left school in 1937 and joined the RAF in 1941.

His father, who’d served in the merchant navy during the First World War, joined the reserves during the second, and father and son were briefly reunited in .

Just a few months later, the younger man was killed.

He is now remembered at the Alamein Memorial in .

Prev Article

TK Maxx issues urgent recall of perfume which could cause allergic reaction

Next Article

Huge car brand discontinues beloved soft-top sports model after 24 YEARS over ‘underwhelming’ sales

Related to this topic:

Comments (0):

Be the first to write a comment.

Post Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *