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Researchers Uncover WWII Bristol Beaufighter Remains

** Bristol Beaufighter Mk X**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A Bristol Beaufighter Mk X, a World War II British aircraft previously discovered but nearly forgotten, was recently uncovered in northern Italy, renewing interest in its story.
  • The plane crashed on September 6, 1944, in Gusano, killing RAF Flight Sergeant John Horsford and Warrant Officer John Watson, whose families researchers are now attempting to contact.
  • Known as "Whispering Death" by the Japanese, the Bristol Beaufighter Mk X was a prominent torpedo bomber, with only six surviving globally out of nearly 6,000 built.
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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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