Dronten wreckage identified as British WWII bomber

Aircraft wreckage found four years ago in Dronten, Netherlands, has been identified as a British WWII Avro Lancaster Mk III bomber, according to local officials. The aircraft, which crashed during a mission to target Hanover, Germany on September 27-28, 1943, was flown by the Canadian 405 Pathfinder Squadron based near Cambridge, England.

The plane, carrying seven crew members, crashed into the Ijsselmeer and the bodies of all crew members were never recovered. In 1959, human remains were discovered and buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen, with additional remains found more recently being investigated by the Ministry of Defence's Recovery and Identification Service.

Dronten Mayor Jean Paul Gebben emphasized the historical significance of the identified aircraft wreckage, with some pieces to be loaned to museums and foundations. An estimated 5,500 aircraft were lost over the Netherlands during World War II, with the Dutch government covering the costs of up to three recovery operations annually.