During the World War II, the Allies — the US, UK and France — used China to target Japan

New Delhi, April 4

An Indian Army patrol has recovered wreckage of a World War-II vintage US Air Force aircraft in Roing district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The patrol had located the aircraft debris covered by thick undergrowth and buried under five-feet snow on March 30.

During the World War (1939-1945) the Allies — US, UK and France — used China as a base to launch against imperial Japan Army.

The US planes regularly flew sorties from Panagarh in West Bengal to locations in China. The route was over-flight over Arunachal Pradesh and then militarily referred to as the flights ‘over the hump’. Several such planes crashed. The US Department of Defence has been asking Indian government to allow access to these sites to locate the remains.

The latest finding of debris was based on the information received from local trekkers of Lower Dibang district through the police. A special patrol of Army was sent to locate the wreckage in a remote location, 30 km from Roing. The patrol moved cross country for 30 km in thick jungles and snow-covered areas for eight days to trace the wreckage.

The region had seldom been ventured by anyone in the past and is even obscured from air due to thick foliage. The discovery of the vintage aircraft and other warlike stores will lead to revelation of some historical inputs, the spokesperson for the Indian Army said. — TNS