During the salvage of the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, remains were found. They probably belong to the pilot who crashed his plane during World War II. The joint aircraft salvage team of the Ministry of Defence and a civil contractor started excavating the aircraft wreckage last Monday. This is located near the North Frisian town of Hallum.

The then 21-year-old German non-commissioned officer Georg Wilhelm was flying the Messerschmitt when he crashed with it on July 16, 1943. The device drilled into the soft soil and disappeared deep into the ground. During the war, it was not possible to recover the wreckage and Wilhelm’s body.

Whether the remains are indeed those of the German pilot will be investigated by the Salvage and Identification Service of the Royal Netherlands Army. A process that is carried out with the utmost care.

The municipality has informed the relatives of the German soldier of the find. This was done through the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation.