(picture: Omrop Fryslan)

Human remains have been discovered in the wreckage of a British bomber that crashed into the IJsselmeer during World War II. These remains are believed to be those of one or more crew members of the Lancaster ED603, which was shot down by a German fighter plane.

Leemans initiated the recovery of the aircraft on Monday with the objective of providing a final resting place for the crew members. The plane is currently upside down at the bottom of the IJsselmeer, making it challenging to access the crew’s compartments.

On their way to England after a bombing mission over the German city of Bochum, the Lancaster was shot down near Kornwerderzand and crashed into the IJsselmeer, not far from the location of the Afsluitdijk.
Unfortunately, all seven crew members did not survive. The bodies of four of them later washed ashore on the banks of the IJsselmeer, while three of them were never found. Further investigation will determine whether the discovered remains indeed belong to the missing crew members.”