Matthew Offord made an underwater visit to see the remains of a Second World War bomber that is to be raised by the RAF Museum. Dornier 17 Z-2, serial number 1160, of number 7 squadron, 3 Group, third Bomber Wing, was shot down on 26 August 1940 and made an emergency landing in the sea just off the Kent coast. Two of the four crew members died; two - including the pilot - survived to become prisoners of war. A total of 1,700 Dorniers were built, but the plane discovered in Goodwin Sands is thought to be the last remaining one.

The RAF Museum, based in Colindale, is working closely with a specialist contractor who has been appointed for the recovery operation. Once recovered the Dornier will be transported to the Museum's conservation facility at Cosford where it will be prepared for public display at Hendon. As the last surviving example of the Dornier 17 (and the only remaining German bomber from the Battle of Britain) this unique aeroplane will enable the Museum to tell the wider story of the Battle of Britain including the sacrifices made on both sides during the conflict'.

Matthew said: “The conditions underwater prevented me for having a nose-to-tail view of the wreck but I was able to move over the fuselage and down the side of the aircraft and also to take a good look at the propellers. Some of the dive team found wreckage of the plane on the seabed that amazingly remained in place despite the strong tides in the area. I am looking forward to the date of the raising of the plane as its recovery will be a major addition to the collection of aircraft at the Museum.”   

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections at the RAF Museum in Colindale said: “We were delighted to include Matthew in one of our regular dive surveys of the Goodwin Sands Dornier Do17Z wreck. This is an essential activity which enables us to closely monitor the condition of the wreck prior to our planned recovery operation. Matthew was able to see at first hand the Dornier's remarkable state of preservation, attributable to the shifting sandbanks which have covered the aircraft for much of the past seventy years”.