A walker found on Sillon Beach in Saint-Malo, the oxygen tank in perfect condition from a US plane from the Second World War. A rare find.
Marie Perrigault will probably not expected to have an appointment with history, on Sunday 12th November 2017.
While strolling in Saint-Malo on the Sillon Beach, close to the Hoguette this walker was intrigued by the sight of a strange cylinder lying in a pool of water.
At first glance, the object is not necessarily reassuring and may suggest at worst a shell at best a pale copy of the famous R2D2.
Marie Perrigault photographed his find before calling potential connoisseurs to appear on Facebook.
The answer was quick to fall and Apply.
If this is not a potentially dangerous projectile, this strange object shaped like a warhead is not least an old witness of the Second World War .
“This is the standard model of an oxygen tank that belonged to an American plane ,” assures a specialist in this period. “It’s a pretty rare find because it has become very rare to see the sea reject the vestiges of that era.”
Two US bombers shot down in Saint-Malo in 1943 and 1944
How he got there? What plane come from? This is the issue today.
“It very well could be 500 kilometers in water before running aground here in Saint-Malo.”
This tank can also come from one of two American bombers shot down in Saint-Malo, at sea in May 1943 (B17) and on the beach in July 1944 (P38 Lightning).
As for its excellent state of preservation, it is not surprising according to our expert.
“These tanks were made of stainless steel, which explains its resistance to corrosion.”
Recovered and saved “in a safe place,” the witness of another time is now state property. The question is where he will end his old age. Perhaps the heart of the museum in Saint-Malo situated 39-45 9-45 de la Cité d’Alet…
