New national recovery programme for missing aircrew & aircraft in the Netherlands

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Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

Don't know if this has already been reported here, but there's a new national programme for the recovery of missing aircrew & aircraft well underway in the Netherlands. Celebrating 75 years of liberation in a fitting way, the Dutch government after much rallying from individuals and groups has decided to make available a substantial amount of money to professionally salvage twenty additional known aircraft crash sites & (hopefully) recover their missing crew members from locations across the Netherlands. Kicking off in September, the first recovery will be Stirling W7630 near Echt (4 crew members still missing, a lot of info on http://www.stichtingbergingstirlingw7630.nl/). Second will be Typhoon MN582 near Lochem (pilot still missing, see https://www.lochem.nl/laatste-nieuws/nieuwsbericht/gemeentenieuws/vliegtuigwrak-met-vermiste-piloot-geborgen-2221.html). Other locations confirmed for 2020 are Stirling BK710 in the IJsselmeer lake (6 crew still missing, more information by the group who found it on http://www.arg1940-1945.nl/bk710%20onderzoek.htm); and an unknown Bf109G-6 (pilot likely to be missing) near Dalfsen. Several forum members are assisting in providing accurate information to the parties involved in order to maximize chances of recoovering missing aircrew members...

Original post

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,024

Don't know if this has already been reported here, but there's a new national programme for the recovery of missing aircrew & aircraft well underway in the Netherlands. Celebrating 75 years of liberation in a fitting way, the Dutch government after much rallying from individuals and groups has decided to make available a substantial amount of money to professionally salvage twenty additional known aircraft crash sites & (hopefully) recover their missing crew members from locations across the Netherlands. Kicking off in September, the first recovery will be Stirling W7630 near Echt (4 crew members still missing, a lot of info on http://www.stichtingbergingstirlingw7630.nl/). Second will be Typhoon MN582 near Lochem (pilot still missing, see https://www.lochem.nl/laatste-nieuws...rgen-2221.html). Other locations confirmed for 2020 are Stirling BK710 in the IJsselmeer lake (6 crew still missing, more information by the group who found it on http://www.arg1940-1945.nl/bk710%20onderzoek.htm); and an unknown Bf109G-6 (pilot likely to be missing) near Dalfsen. Several forum members are assisting in providing accurate information to the parties involved in order to maximize chances of recoovering missing aircrew members...

Admirable work by the Netherlands People and Government, thanks for the info. Pity that HMG isnt so proactive.

Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

You wouldn't believe the amount of work individuals and groups have put into this before the government finally decided to take on this project. The IJsselmeer Stirling alone was discovered 11 years ago by a private party, and only now has been scheduled for recovery. The Echt Stirling recovery has been decades in the making. In practice: if there's no direct reason to salvage a wreck site, it is left alone. Even if the likelihood exists it contains remains of crew members. Over 1,000 missing aircrew are linked to known crash sites in the Netherlands...

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

That Stirling is our ongoing project. We are very pleased that before too long the missing aircrew will be found. We have another Ijsselmeer project lined up, an 83 squadron Lancaster with three aircrew still missing.
The list is long.
Cheers
Cees

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14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

The recovery of the Echt Stirling is due to start September 16th.

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16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

We've been assisting the RNLAF with the possible identification of Stirling parts notably the Echt one and are on call to assist with whatever is recovered

John

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

Cees, is there a Whitley on your list?

Member for

14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

Elliott, unfortunately not, otherwise I had informed you:cool:
Our organisation (ARG1940-1945) is very excited about this new recovery scheme, having battled the same departments for years to get aircraft with missing aircrew recovered.
Cheers
Cees

Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

https://l1.nl/l1mburg-centraal-druk-...werper-152323/

Recovery now in final stages. Unfortunately no trace of the missing crew members and little chance for their recovery. Debris recovered includes all four engines, undercarriage legs, and hundreds of smaller fragments from this high-energy crash.

The next recovery to be done during this program, is of a 175 Squadron Hawker Typhoon near Eefde. A memorial service last Thursday marked the start of the project, 75 years to the day that F/Sgt Willam Hurrell went missing. Work is expected to start second week of November:
https://www.omroepgelderland.nl/nieuws/2425475/Het-is-een-ereschuld-die-we-moeten-inlossen-officiele-start-berging-vliegtuigwrak-Eefde

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,183

How interesting, Eric, thank you for posting. I play cricket once a year or so only a couple of kilometres away from the Eefde site.

Adrian

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14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

https://www.omroepgelderland.nl/nieuws/amp/2429851/Stoffelijke-resten-e…

 

Good news. The Eefde recovery has been completed ahead of schedule, and human remains have been found. While not formally identified yet, they are expected to be those of F/Sgt. Hurrell, and next of kin have been informed of the findings so far. Substantial aircraft wreckage recovered too, in poor condition, as well as 8 rockets and hundreds of rounds.

Member for

5 years 9 months

Posts: 128

May you now finally rest in peace. God speed Sir. 

Old Towzer.