4.3 Objects
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- Pontoon found at Torsvåg on 31 August 1928.
It was later ascertained
that this was the left wing pontoon
of the “Latham 47.”
In 1928 it was concluded that the
pontoon had been torn
from the wing, probably as a result
of a hefty collision with
the sea.
- Fuel tank found on the Haltenbanken, 13 October 1928.
It was ascertained that this was the Latham’s forward internal
fuel tank.
Subsequent modification of the tank might indicate
that they had
attempted to use it as a float, perhaps as a
substitute for the
pontoon that had been torn off
- Sheet of plywood found on Edgeøya.
One of the many encouraging
contacts made by the working
group after the
open hearing in Tromsø on Spetember 30 on
the disappearance
of the Latham, came when they were approached
by a former hunter
in Svalbard, Per Johnson.
During his time
as a hunter on the island of Edgeøya, he found a double sheet
of
plywood in 1964 with studding and ribs between the sheets. The
piece of wood had
metal fittings and in some places it was insulated with a
bakelite-type substance.
The sheet of plywood was approximately 120 cm x 120 cm. It was
flat and the
colour of the wood had faded to grey after spending such a
long time in the sea.
The sheet of
plywood was used to make improvements to the hunting shack,
“Blåsebelgen” east on Negerpynten point on the island of
Edgeøya. The
improvements were made to the southern wall of the shack, by
the entrance.
The working group has not had the necessary resources to visit
Edgeøya in order to
further examine the sheet of plywood. The drawings of the
Latham that we have
received from the Musee de l’Air et l’Espace in Paris are
probably not detailed
enough to allow us to identify this part of the aircraft.
However, experts with
knowledge of the “Latham” and similar aircraft will, on
inspection and retrieval of a
smaller section of the part in question for further
examination, be able to say
something about whether the part orignates from a wooden
aircraft and possibly
from the “Latham”.
The newspaper Svalbardposten has shown interest in the story
and is considering a
trip to Negerpynten point on the island of Edgeøya. If this
trip is realized, the group
examining the part should include aviation experts. At the
time of writing we do not
know whether the trip to Edgeøya will actually be made.
On the basis of today’s knowledge of currents and wind
conditions in the northern Atlantic, any possible confirmation
that the part belonged to the “Latham” would strengthen the
theory that the accident occurred near the island of Bjørnøya.
In the light of this, verification of this find will be of
considerable interest.
Pontoon/tank found at Skolmen in Vestvågøy;
Lofoten
I 1933/34 a possible pontoon/tank was found at Skolmen in
Vestvågøy. The object
was reportedly handed in to the police in Svolvær. The Regional State
Archives in
Trondheim can find no entry regarding the handing in of such
an object in the
police archives and it has therefore not been possible to
trace the object.
Wreckage from an aircraft and a skull found at Auvær.
During the hearing at the Polar Museum in Tromsø on 30
September 2002, a
fisherman, Håkon Robertsen from Aurvær in the borough of
Tromsø, said that
during the halibut fishing in 1990, a skull was found together
with some alumimium
mesh at a certain location off the island of Sommarøy. Finds
of aircraft wreckage
made near Aurvær over several years are interesting, but may
originate from two
German aircraft that crashed into the sea in that area during
World War II. A skull
was also brought up there. This incident was followed up, but
the search ended at
the police station in Tromsø where we were informed that the
skull had disappeared
in transit.
The Navy has been informed of the finds so that further
examination of the area can be undertaken in conjunction with
other tasks.
Cylindrical container found at Skittenelv.
In 1928, a cylindrical container was found at Skittenelv
north of Tromsø. The receptacle was handed over to the local
teacher who apparently sent it on to the local sheriff’s
office, although this has not been corroborated. Examination
of State Archives provided no clues as to whether the object
was handed over to the police, or what became of it.
The drop
tank find at Håja.
The newspaper “Tromsø” reported that a local squire,
Alfred Paulsen of Håja, had found something he assumed to be a
“drop tank” from the “Latham.” The tank cannot be traced and
it seems to have been thrown away in conjunction with a local
clean-up operation.