Halifax 57 Rescue, in partnership with the Swedish Coast and Sea Center (SCSC), are excited to announce the launch of the underwater recovery of WWII RCAF Halifax bomber HR871 off the coast of Sweden. Initial recovery operations will took place in 2024, near Falsterbo, Sweden, with crews operating from the Port of Trelleborg.

Assigned to the elite RCAF 405 “Pathfinder” Squadron in 1943, Halifax HR871 was badly damaged during a bombing raid over Hamburg on August 3, 1943. Unable to return to England, the crew successfully bailed out over neutral Sweden before the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea, where it remained buried under sand for over 80 years. With only a handful of Halifaxes remaining, this recovery is crucial to preserving the legacy of the 10,659 Canadian airmen lost in Bomber Command. This effort marks the next step in a worldwide mission to restore a Halifax bomber for the BCMC’s expanding museum.