WORK has started to recover the wreckage of two RAF Tornados that crashed in the Moray Firth.
Three airmen were lost in the incident off the east coast of Scotland last Tuesday.
Flight Lieutenant Hywel Poole, 28, died in hospital while Squadron Leader Samuel Bailey, 26, and Flight Lieutenant Adam Sanders, 27, are missing presumed dead. A fourth crewman remains seriously injured in hospital.
The remains of the two GR4 bombers are believed to be 131ft-197ft underwater 25 miles south of Wick.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The salvage operation is under way with two vessels on the scene, a civilian ship Far Sapphire and HMS Cattistock.
"We hope the operation may be completed by the end of the week."
Far Sapphire is an anchor-handling vessel based in the North Sea and will lift the jets from the seabed.
The men were serving with 15 (Reserve) Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray when they were involved in the incident.
Flight Lieutenant Poole, 28, a trainee, ejected from one of the aircraft and was winched out of the water by a search and rescue helicopter along with his instructor, who has not been named. Flt Lt Poole died in hospital later.
Squadron Leader Bailey, 36, was in the second jet, along with Flight Lieutenant Sanders, 27. Both are missing, presumed dead.
The Duke of York attended a memorial service for the men at RAF Lossiemouth. Prince Andrew is an honorary air commodore of the station and was joined at the service by the station commander, Group Captain Ian Gale.
Squadron Leader Bailey was originally from Nottingham and joined the Tornado Force in 2001, serving in operations over Iraq.
He had been an instructor with 15 (Reserve) Squadron since 2004.
His wife, Fl Lt Fiona Bailey, was stood down from her work in the RAF search and rescue centre when it emerged her husband was in one of the jets.
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