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At Potter Plant Hire, we are accustomed to handling a wide range of heavy machinery, but our recent project was a bit different. We were entrusted with transporting two Halifax bomber wings to Prestwick Airport, marking a significant step in the journey to restore these historic pieces. These wings are now on their way back to Canada, as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 100th Anniversary celebrations.
This project has a remarkable backstory. On August 8th, 1943, RCAF Halifax Bomber, HR 871, landed in the Baltic off the Swedish coast. All seven crew members bailed out, and the Halifax bomber remained unknown and unseen for almost 73 years, until it was recently discovered in 50 feet of water just a few miles offshore of the southern tip of Sweden.
The Curator of the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, together with Halifax 57 Rescue and Havsresan, sought to salvage this historic aircraft. After months of negotiations, they received official permission from the Swedish government to proceed with the salvage operation. However, for the restoration of the Halifax bomber, they needed two outer wing panels, total wing length of 53 feet.
Despite their efforts, searching in Canada, it did not yield the necessary parts. It wasn’t until they collaborated with the Yorkshire Air Museum and the RAF Museum that they located these vital components, just 3 miles from our headquarters at Potter Plant Hire. We are honored to have played a role in transporting these wings, as they are critical to the restoration project.
For more details and updates on the restoration efforts, please visit the fundraising page at Halifax 57 Rescue Fund. The page provides in-depth information on the restoration process.
We are proud to support this effort and look forward to seeing these wings restored to their former glory!