A Brit photographer has helped solve the riddle of a sunken World War II bomber with his stunning underwater snaps.
Steve Jones swam down 230 feet to capture amazing images of the plane which was shot out of the sky over Yugoslavia in 1944.
His pictures helped discover the remains of the pilot who sacrificed himself so his crew could escape.
US Army Air Force Second Lt. Ernest Vienneau vanished while flying his B-17 bomber on Nov. 6, 1944, after being hit by anti-aircraft guns.
The 25-year-old pilot managed to land the aircraft in the sea off the coast of Vis, Croatia, so his crew could escape, but his body remained on the plane as it sank beneath the waves of the Adriatic.
Despite attempts to contact the Army, his parents were only told he was “lost at sea” – leaving loved ones wondering how he died.
Now, underwater photographer Jones has revealed Vienneau’s final resting place, discovering his body lying intact in the wreckage of his aircraft and capturing pictures of the abandoned aircraft.
The 47-year-old from South Wales and Andi Marovic, who runs a local dive center, found the wreck in September 2016.
Later, with the help of a single image and research from Croatian historian Daniiel Frka, they were been able to contact Vienneau’s family for the first time.
Jones said that despite the excitement he felt when he first found the aircraft, he still felt a twinge of sadness for the war hero trapped in the cockpit.
Jones said: “The aircraft was in such remarkable condition, it was as if it had just landed.
“Daniiel had discovered that the pilot had made a skilled water landing after they lost power to the last engine while trying to land at Vis airfield, a place where many crippled bombers headed for after being shot up over Europe during the war. Vienneau’s body was left on board as the crew had no time to evacuate him before the aircraft filled with water and sank.
“The dive was a solemn experience as we knew Vienneau’s remains were on board.
“The whole experience had a personal dimension for me as my own grandfather was a gunner on RAF bombers in WWII.
“Later, my image was commended in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2017 competition and due to Daniiel’s research in identifying the plane, I was able to mention Vienneau’s name in the image caption.
“I was stunned when the organizers of the competition passed on an email from Vienneau’s nephew, Robert Vienneau, who was trying to track me down after a friend of theirs recognized the unusual last name in the caption.”
According to what the family knows about Vienneau’s background, he grew up in a paper mill town, Millinocket, Maine, and had 10 living siblings as well as two more who died in childhood.
He served with the 340th Bombardment Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group and died during a bombing mission over enemy targets in Maribar, Yugoslavia.
Searches for his remains were conducted after the war but had been unsuccessful – and his family was only told he had died at sea, despite writing letters to the Army asking for details of his death.
Vienneau’s family have also now requested that if the divers ever return to the wreck that they leave flowers on the co-pilot’s seat for them.
They have also raised a headstone in the Millinocket Cemetery in his hometown so if discussed plans to remove his remains in future are successful they can be transported to a grave there.
Robert Vienneau, 76, who lives in Boston, said: “Ernest died in 1944 when the oldest of us were infants.
“I am so moved by this whole experience and grateful that my great-uncle is being remembered and honored for his sacrifice.”