Remains believed to be those of a US six-man crew of a World War II bomber have been located in Tunisia and will be repatriated on Thursday in ceremonies in Tunis, a Pentagon press release said.
The aircraft wreckage was discovered in November 2000 during a dredging operation at Lake Tunis, near the capital city of Tunis, said the release, of which Albawaba.com had an e-mail copy.
The aircraft was under approximately six feet of silt and mud.
According to the statement, the Tunisian government halted the dredging operation and contacted US authorities.
“The bomber, a Martin Marauder B-26, crashed in the water after having been struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire during a raid on El Aouina air base in December 1942.”
Based on serial numbers from the aircraft, the US army has made a tentative association with a specific aircraft, and has located most of the surviving family members of the crew, it added.
Thursday’s repatriation ceremony will include officials of the Tunisian government, US Ambassador Rust Deming and other US officials – Albawaba.com
