Photo of the Heaven Can Wait B24 which Project Recover located near Papua, New Guinea.

The New York Times Reports Project Recover Locates B-24, Heaven Can Wait

Lauren TrecostaNews, WWII Finds 2 Comments

The New York Times reports that Project Recover locates the B-24 ‘Heaven Can Wait’ in Hansa Bay, New Guinea, 74 years after it was shot down Japanese anti-aircraft fire. The B-24 ‘Heaven Can Wait’ was on a mission to disrupt Japanese shipping and supply chains when it was shot down. Lt. Thomas Kelly, Jr., was a bombardier aboard the B-24 and one of the 11-member crew who died that day. On Memorial Day, nearly a century later, Kelly’s cousin once …

Photo of the Heaven Can Wait B24 which Project Recover located near Papua, New Guinea.

Project Recover Locates WWII B-24 Bomber, Heaven Can Wait

Lauren TrecostaNews, WWII Finds 69 Comments

May 22, 2018 – A B-24 D-1 bomber, Heaven Can Wait, associated with 11 American servicemen missing in action from World War II was recently found and documented in Hansa Bay off Papua, New Guinea by Project Recover—a collaborative team of marine scientists, archaeologists, and volunteers who have combined efforts to locate aircraft associated with MIAs from WWII. The crew of “Heaven Can Wait” was part of the 320th squadron of the “Jolly Rogers” 90th Bombardment Group and was on …

WWII B-25 Bombers located by Project Recover one of Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2017

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December 22, 2017 – WWII B-25 Bombers located by Project Recover off Papua New Guinea named one of the Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2017 by HeritageDaily. In 2017, a Project Recover team traveled to Papua New Guinea to survey a large underwater area hoping to locate missing two WWII B-25 bombers. The Project Recover team includes volunteers and professionals from several fields including Archaeology, History, Oceanography, and Engineering. This interdisciplinary team was able to combine decades of expertise to narrow …

The wreckage of a B-25 bomber documented by Project Recover in the waters of Papua New Guinea.

Two WWII B-25 Bombers Documented by Project Recover Off Papua New Guinea

Lauren TrecostaNews, WWII Finds 10 Comments

May 23, 2017 – Two B-25 bombers associated with American servicemen missing in action from World War II were recently documented in the waters off Papua New Guinea by Project Recover—a collaborative team of marine scientists, archaeologists, and volunteers who have combined efforts to locate aircraft and associated MIAs from World War II. The B-25 bomber is one of the most iconic airplanes of World War II, with nearly 10,000 of the famous warbirds conducting a variety of missions—from bombing …

The pilot seat after 75 years in the ocean off the coast of Palau of a WWII MIA Avenger & Hellcat crewed by Walter E. “Bert” Mintus and Lt. Roland Richard Houle - found byProject RecoverCrew

Project Recover Locates Downed WWII Avenger in Pacific Islands

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May 25, 2016–An American aircraft, a TBM-1C Avenger,missing since July 1944 was recently located in the waters surrounding the Pacific Island nation of Palau by Project RECOVER — a collaborative effort to combine the most advanced oceanographic technology with advanced archival research methods to locate aircraft and associated Americans missing in action (MIA) since World War II. Scattered among the lagoon waters and coral reefs surrounding Palau’s island chain, and concealed within its dense mangrove forests, are several dozen U.S. …

Bentprop Palau Mission 18

PMAN XVIII – Project Recover Locates WWII TBM Avenger Aircraft

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PMAN XVIII – Project Recover Locates WWII TBM Avenger Team enjoys unseasonably cool winter. Mission starts with training on D.A.N. Emergency Oxygen Case and OTS Full Face Mask in the pool. Members cover more ground and target verification due to the Navigator Sonar from Scripps and UDEL drastically changing the efficiency of the team’s efforts. Nothing of interest found on land or in sea and obvious land targets are running dry. Old sites revisited for new members, corsair and B24. …