View of the fighter plane’s cockpit with human remains still resting inside.

A group of divers, who found a downed WWII British fighter plane within relative shallow waters off the North African coast, can now confirm the existence of human remains inside the cockpit of the Curtis P40. The group are still seeking to discuss the find with the British Government and Ministry of Defence with the intention of arranging the recovery of the plane from the sea and the repatriation of the remains of the pilot who was presumably shot down during a mission.

At a difficult time for the British Military currently serving in several theatres of war, veterans have expressed concern at the apparent inaction by the MOD in relation to this find and indeed to try and identify the pilot who paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War II.

Although some preliminary meetings have been held with the British Embassy in Madrid, and more recently informally in Gibraltar, the relevant RAF department in the UK that is tasked with establishing the identity of Missing or Killed in action pilots, and are also tasked with contacting any living relatives, have not been very forthcoming, according to a spokesman for the group representing the divers, Team Leader Lucinio Serrano told the Chronicle yesterday.

It is understood the plane is still in very good condition and the signs from outside suggest it may have been downed whilst on a mission in North Africa and in a coastal area which is not too deep. Although clearance would be required to enable the lifting of the plane, the finders are hoping the Ministry of Defence will be keen in ensuring the recovery of the plane and the remains of the crewman.

At a local level, researchers for the find had planned to continue researching the likelihood of the plane having come through Gibraltar and onwards to its destination in one of the North African bases used by the allies during WWII.

There is already an interested party who is keen to produce a TV documentary of the recovery and track the history of the mission, the crew, any living relatives and indeed the honourable repatriation of the remains back to the UK.