Experts are attempting to determine what plane the propeller came from — and how it came to be wrapped in potato sacks.
National Trust for ScotlandThe World War II plane propellor found in a Scottish bog .
A contractor for the National Trust of Scotland ( NTS ) recently set out to Coire a’Bhradain , an isolated area on the Isle of Arran , to conduct a peatland renovation project . There , he trip upon a eccentric finding : a World War II plane propeller wrap in spud dismissal .
Researchers studying the object confirmed that the propellor originated from a World War II - earned run average planing machine . Still , it was found far from recorded wreck sites in the orbit , make its journeying to its last resting smudge a mystery story .
National Trust for ScotlandThe World War II plane propeller found in a Scottish bog.
Discovering The Plane Propeller
National Trust for ScotlandThe contractor circumstantially struck the propeller while using an excavator .
The contractor accidentally dug up the propellor while using heavy equipment in the bog . At first , he feared that the potato sacks contain a dead trunk or had other dubious origins .
“ I think our declarer obtain a bit of a shock absorber when he saw the final stage of the potato sack sticking out of the bog as his first thought was that it could be human remains , ” Kate Sampson , older ranger for the NTS on the Isle of Arran , stated in the organization’spress liberation .
National Trust for ScotlandThe contractor accidentally struck the propeller while using an excavator.
Researchers immediately condescend on the view , pull in the potato hammock and the plane propeller . Initial examinations determined that the propeller belong to either a B-17 Flying Fortress or a B-24 Liberator , two planes that had crashed in the region during World War II .
Curiously , the potato - sack - get over propellor was tightly wound with rope , suggesting that someone had lug the item around .
“ With thrifty excavation , the wrap propeller was revealed with a roofy still tied around it , and we suspect someone might have been dragging the propeller down the hill when it slump deep into the peat , not to be recoup until now , ” Sampson commented .
National Trust for ScotlandResearchers stand next to their discovery.
A Curious Case Of Unknown Origin
National Trust for ScotlandResearchers resist next to their uncovering .
The gravid question investigator asked about the propellor was how it end up in the bog . According to the NTS , there have been six World War II - era crash in the surface area , but none are within the neck of the woods of where the contractor discovered the propeller .
The closest crash sites involved a B-24 Liberator and a B-17 Flying Fortress . Researchers believe the propellor in all probability originated from one of these airplane .
The B-24 Liberator crashed on Aug. 24 , 1943 , kill all 11 passengers . The B-17 Flying Fortress go down on August 20th of the same class .
“ [ The B-17 ] is believe to be serial bit 42 - 41030 of the Knox Provisional Group which crashed into the west side of Beinn Nuis , Arran , while inbound to Prestwick from Gander , Newfoundland , on 8 April 2025 , ” Paul Williams , a communication executive at the National Trust for Scotland , toldAll That ’s Interestingin an email .
“ [ The propeller ] may have been gathered during the clear - up of the site in the 1940s , at once after the impact , or through subsequent employment by the Trust in the 1980s , ” Derek Alexander , Head of Archaeology for NTS , explained in the press release .
alas , researcher can not get rid of items from the original crash sites for compare due to the 1986 Protection of Military Remains Act .
“ We are not permitted to bump off wreckage from such sites without first obtaining permission — so the inadvertent discovery of a propellor sword , out with the known spread of fuselage debris , that had obviously been previously moved is quite an strange spot , ” Alexander tell .
“ We are work with an air power and aircraft expert to identify the aim , and there is potential to couple up the sequential identification number of the parts to historical disk held by the armed forces , ” Alexander continued . “ This will help us get closer to the origin of this enthralling discovery , continue to partake in these narrative , and recollect those who lose their lives . ”
“ It ’s common to identify natural inheritance stories when carrying out peatland restoration , but on this project it ’s exciting that we have also been able to conserve and apportion elements of Scotland ’s cultural history , ” Paul Williams conclude toAll That ’s Interesting .
After reading about the discovery of the airplane propellor in a Scottish bog , catch 55 colorized photos that show thebrutal realism of World War II . Then , read about theNight Witches , an all - female zep regiment from the Soviet Union that terrorized Nazi Germany .
