Watch a WWII MIA US Airman’s Remains Recovered from Bomber Wreckage in Mediterranean

Many years after World War II, the remains of a young U.S. airman have been found in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. This remarkable find has helped bring closure to his family and shed light on a piece of wartime history.

The Mission and Tragic Crash of the B-24 Liberator

In May 1943, a U.S. bomber aircraft called the B-24 Liberator was flying a mission over the southern part of Italy. The bomber took off from its base in Libya but faced severe problems when its engines malfunctioned and it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Despite these troubles, the crew aimed to reach Malta, a nearby island serving as a safe landing area for troubled Allied planes. Just as the aircraft approached Malta, it lost power. Though nine of the crew members survived the crash landing on the water, they could not save Sgt. Irving R. Newman, who was injured by the fire. The aircraft sank within minutes, taking him down with it.

The wreck of this bomber now rests about a mile off the southernmost point of Malta, lying 190 feet underwater. The first attempts to dive and explore the wreck took place in 2018, but it wasn’t until June of this year that Newman’s remains were finally recovered. This underwater mission was led by Timmy Gambin, a maritime archaeologist at the University of Malta.

The effort to find the wreck began in 2015 when the University of Malta’s maritime archaeology team decided to investigate where the bomber had crashed. They used advanced technology like side-scan sonar to locate the wreck, which provides a detailed picture of the seafloor. After finding it in 2016, they used more sonar equipment and photogrammetry to make a 3D model of the site. This made it easier to understand and explore the wreck, which lies too deep for regular scuba divers.

The Recovery Mission

To dive at such great depths, the team used special breathing gases that included more helium and oxygen. They also used “rebreather” technology, which recycles the air to allow divers to stay underwater longer. Despite these measures, divers could only work for about 45 minutes a day. Recovering Newman’s remains took a total of two months of diving, spread over two years — one month in 2022 and another in 2023. Newman had been a gunner aboard the bomber, and recovering his remains from the wreck was challenging due to the unstable conditions of the site.

In addition to Newman’s remains, divers also recovered items like a 50-millimeter machine gun and other artifacts from the wreck. However, the main goal was always to find the missing airman. Finding the wreck and bringing Newman’s remains back to his family provided a chance for long-awaited closure.

During World War II, the B-24 Liberator was the most widely produced American bomber, with over 18,000 units made by the end of the war. These bombers were integral to many missions over Europe. Some B-24s were even given nicknames, such as “Male Call,” which was piloted by the famous actor Jimmy Stewart. However, the Liberator that crashed near Malta did not appear to have a nickname.

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