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Researchers Uncover WWII Bristol Beaufighter Remains

** Bristol Beaufighter Mk X**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Researchers recently uncovered the remains of a World War II Bristol Beaufighter Mk X in northern Italy, an aircraft first discovered years ago and nearly forgotten.
  • The Beaufighter crashed on September 6, 1944, in Gusano, killing RAF Flight Sergeant John Horsford and Warrant Officer John Watson, whose kin researchers are now trying to contact.
  • Known as the "Whispering Death" by the Japanese for its stealth as a torpedo bomber, the Bristol Beaufighter Mk X is a rare surviving aircraft, with only six remaining globally.
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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.

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