A World War II mystery that spanned 82 years has finally been unravelled with the discovery of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bomber off the coast of Greece’s Antikythera island.
During World War II, in December 1943, the Baltimore FW282, which was carrying a crew from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, was shot down by Nazi forces and crashed into the sea. The tragic incident resulted in three fatalities and left one survivor. Metro reported on Saturday that the Greek diving team AegeanTec discovered the wreck last year at 61 meters, ending decades of uncertainty surrounding the crash.
Greek tech divers find WW2 Australian bomber
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Martin Baltimore aircraft, lost following a WW2 maritime reconnaissance mission in late 1943, has been discovered at a depth of 61m off the island of Antikythera by a Greek technical-diving team…. pic.twitter.com/Q0Gi2mVeGl
— Divernet.com (@DiverNetUK) April 1, 2025AegeanTec, experts in deep-water wrecks, suspected it was the RAAF plane and alerted History and Heritage – Air Force (HUWC-AF). After the assessment, HUWC-AF confirmed it as Baltimore FW282. “This find is a big deal—it honours the bravery of this tri-nation crew and offers closure to their families,” said Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, Australian Chief of Air Force, joined by RAF and RNZAF peers. A memorial service for the fallen is now in the works.
The Fate of Baltimore FW282
Part of RAAF’s No 454 Squadron, the bomber was ambushed by German Me-109s over the Aegean Sea, returning from a mission. Pilot Officer Colin Walker (RAAF), Warrant Officer John Gartside (RNZAF), and Leslie Norman Row (RAF) perished in the attack, riddled by seven assaults that torched the plane’s wing.
Survivor William Alroy Hugh Horsley (RAAF) endured as a POW until the war’s end, later recounting: “The intercom was gone, Walker and Gartside were hit extent unclear.” The wreck’s recovery closes a haunting chapter for their kin.
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