Researchers recently uncovered the remains of a Bristol Beaufighter Mk X in northern Italy, drawing renewed attention to a World War II British airplane that was first discovered — and nearly forgotten — years ago.
According to a report by Discovery News, parts of the fuselage and the propeller were found by a group of amateur researchers in the small city of Gusano, where it crashed on Sept. 6, 1944, killing RAF Flight Sergeant John Horsford and Warrant Officer John Watson. The men were buried in a local cemetery after the crash and, according to records, Horsford was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal posthumously. Researchers are now in the process of trying to contact related kin to reconstruct their story.
The Bristol Beaufighter Mk X was used as a torpedo bomber in World War II and was known by the Japanese as “Whispering Death,” due to its ability to sneak up on enemy targets. Nearly 6,000 Beaufighters were built, but today their surviving numbers are slim, with only six remaining around the world.
