WWII Relic "More Damaged Than We Realized"

A B-25C Mitchell that crashed in a South Carolina lake more than 62 years ago has been raised from the depths, to be restored and put on display in an Alabama museum.

The aircraft (file photo of type, above) went down in the lake on April 4th, 1943, while on a training mission. While the crew was able to escape with their lives, the aircraft sank to the bottom of Lake Murray, 150-feet below.

"It’s something you don’t see every day," 83-year old Robert Barnes told the Charlotte Observer. He was an artilleryman during WWII, who hadn't seen a Mitchell up close since before the war ended in 1945.

The aircraft was obviously fragile. Salvage crews worked to keep the nose from falling back into the water, ordering extra hoists and taking extra time to ensure the bomber was brought up intact.

"We’re keeping it gentle," said salvage organizer John Adams Hodge. He was quoted by the Observer. He said the relic was more damaged than he first realized.

The aircraft will be disassembled over the next few days, then moved to Alabama for restoration. Once that's complete, the plane will go on display at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, AL.

FMI: www.southernmuseumofflight.org