For over 80 years, the families of four airmen, three presumed lost in a World War II plane crash, have been left with only tales of their courage. The wreckage of a Royal Australian Air Force Baltimore bomber, shot down during the conflict, has finally been located off the coast of Antikythera, a small Greek island nestled between Crete and the Peloponnese.
Three airmen from No. 454 Squadron—Pilot Officer Colin William Walker from Australia, Warrant Officer John Gartside from New Zealand, and British navigator Flight Lieutenant Leslie Norman Row—were officially marked as “missing” but were assumed dead after the incident. Flight Lieutenant William Alroy Hugh Horsley, the pilot, was the only member of the crew to survive.
Horsley’s son, Guy, expressed his joy at the discovery of the wreckage, affirming the identity of the Baltimore. “I was just 15 when my father passed away, so it’s wonderful to know they have found the plane,” Guy remarked.
After the crash, the then 32-year-old Horsley managed to swim to an island, where he was rescued by a Greek fisherman, only to be captured by the Gestapo and interned in Stalag 3. Despite the years of uncertainty, he later conveyed to his family that he had survived, relayed through a Red Cross telegram stating he would be returning home.
An Athens-based exploration team dedicated seven years to located the wreck using advanced sonar technology. Their efforts finally culminated in the recent discovery, bringing closure to the long-standing mystery for the families involved. Chief Air Marshall Stephen Chappell of the RAAF remarked on the emotional significance of the find, stating it provides a healing process, allowing the families to understand that their loved ones can now rest in peace.
The wreckage of the bomber will remain at the site. Guy Horsley expressed immense pride in his father and the crew’s legacy. Despite this revelation, it’s a sobering reminder that over 3,143 Australian aviators still remain unaccounted for, their final resting places unknown.