Naval officer spots crash site of grandfather's missing Second World War plane on YouTube

The grandson of a British Second World War pilot has tracked down the wreckage of his grandfather’s plane on the Norwegian mountainside after footage of the crash site emerged on YouTube.

Royal Navy Commander Phil Richardson, from Hampshire, journeyed to Norway to locate the remains of the Flying Grumman Hellcat Fighter Bomber, which was hit during a daring raid on a German warship.

His grandfather Lt Cdr Ron Richardson was 27-years-old when he was sent on a mission to attack the battleship Tirpitz, the pride of the German Navy, that was mounting attacks on the Arctic convoys.

Although he was pronounced dead during the war, the wreckage of his hellcat fighter remained unknown up until now.

It was only after footage which identified a crash site 3,000ft up  a remote mountain appeared on YouTube that Mr Richardson was able to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the aircraft's landing point.

A spell of warm weather also helped to expose the site, situated in a secluded area 500km inside the Arctic Circle.

Cdr Richardson, 44, was accompanied by his 75-year-old father Alistair on the emotional trip to the mountainside.

He told BBC Inside Out South: “We saw parts of the fuselage still riddled with bullet holes. And the tail was very clearly still intact one piece.

“Seeing the extent of the wreckage really moves me. I compare it to my own flying career in the navy, and know how close to dangerous situations I have been in. But, fortunately I have always come out the other side of them.

“And so we said a prayer there, we left the cross and reflected on the area where Ron spent his last moments.”

Beside the wreckage was an empty grave where Lt Cdr Richardson, originally from New Zealand, was buried by locals. His body was later placed in a military grave in an unknown location.