In that PB4Y-1, an American version of the B-24 bomber, there were 11 men. When it flew, off Faro, in the middle of World War II, the plane ran out of fuel and tragedy struck: the aircraft crashed and fell into the sea. Six of the crew were saved by three heroic Algarve fishermen, but nothing is known about the other five. The bodies were never found, but almost 81 years later, a mission is underway to try to recover any remains of the missing aviators.
The story, despite being well-known – and we owe it to the Algarve journalist Carlos Guerreiro and the book “Aterrem em Portugal” – it deserves to continue to be told.
It was November 1943, in the midst of World War II. Portugal was, on paper, a neutral country, but it did not escape the conflict entirely. An example of this were the aerial battles that took place in the skies over our country, as well as the history of this PB4Y-1.
The US Navy plane had taken off from Port Lyautey base in Morocco, but got lost, ran out of fuel and ended up crashing 1,2 miles from the island of Faro, after a day of patrolling German submarines and boats.
The accident would go down in history for yet another reason: on that night in November 1943, Algarve natives Jaime Nunes, José and Manuel Mascarenhas were fishing near the site where the American bomber crashed.
Despite the initial scare, due to the smoke and sparks, they decided they had to help the Americans.
In the small rowboat they were on, they managed to get six of the crew. They waited for the tide until they docked at the pier in Faro, in the early hours of December 1st.
The wreckage of the plane was found at the bottom of the water, 20 meters deep, by José Vieira, many years later.
And what about the other six people? What happened to them? This is the part of the story that we want to tell (now).
Since September 1, a group of US military personnel, in collaboration with other foreign and national entities, has been on an underwater expedition to the location where the bomber was found.
The objective is just one: to try to find “human remains” of the missing aviators, says underwater archaeologist Pedro Caleja.
He has been the link between the Americans and the Portuguese entities, having drawn up, for example, a work plan.
O Sul Informação met him at the end of another day spent at sea, off the coast of Faro, where they leave very early. In total, they spend about 10 hours on the mission.
«This all started with an invitation from a non-profit association called Ships of Discovery. The work is done in collaboration with DPAA (Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency mission) which is a department of the American State that deals with matters related to missing in combat, prisoners of war", he explains.
This department has known for “many years” that the plane wreckage was found – which is why this is not the first mission in Portugal.
"What's different is that this is the first time that an excavation has been carried out, which requires more care and takes longer. More geophysical work has also been carried out, expanding the area to see if there is more debris or not from the tail area," explains Pedro Caleja.
The team is in the front area of the wing, between the engines, and, according to the archaeologist, the “excavation is going well”.
“DPAA policy does not allow us to say whether something has been found or not. There are a whole series of procedures that also serve to avoid creating false expectations. If something is found, the first people to be contacted are the families, which, in my opinion, makes perfect sense,” he adds.
The truth is that this has been a “very good” experience for the archaeologist.
“I really like this topic of contemporary archaeology: it is a heritage that is closer to us. I think that this issue of the remains of our soldiers, their identification, is something that has never been discussed in our society and that is necessary”, he considers.
Throughout this campaign, the group of around 20 people has had a support vessel, operated by the company Cruzeiros da Oura. The team includes people who have already participated in other expeditions related to World War II or in places associated with the British and Vietnam Wars.
Work in the Algarve will end this Friday, September 20th, but a very special moment is scheduled for the following day.
From 10:30 am, a conference will take place at the City Hall Faro, about the history of this American plane.
Descendants of the fishermen who rescued six of the aviators and the relatives of one of the rescued crew members will be present, as well as the multidisciplinary team of American and Portuguese investigators who investigated the lost aircraft.
During this meeting, the historical context of the accident will be discussed from the perspective of the local community and historians, and the team of researchers will describe their investigations at the site.
And what's more: in the end, there will be a visit to the memorial that Faro raised, in September 2022, at Largo de São Francisco, and which pays homage to the history of this plane – and of the fishermen who rescue American soldiers.
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