Title: WWII Bomber Plane Wreck Found in Dronten Forest
Date: September 19, 2024
Location: Dronten, Netherlands
Summary: A WWII British Avro Lancaster bomber plane wreck was discovered in the Van Veldhuizen forest in Dronten, Netherlands. The Ministry of Defense and its Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) service have cordoned off the area until the plane is recovered in November 2025. The remains are around 2.5 meters deep in the ground, and fragments of aircraft bombs were also found at the site. The wreck is believed to be the same plane as the gun turret and airmen found over sixty years ago, which were buried as Unknown Airmen in a military cemetery in Nijmegen. The recovery operation is expected to cost around 800,000 euros, with the government covering 750,000 euros and the municipality covering the remaining 50,000 euros. The operation will include cutting down trees and removing shrubs, and a work area will be created on-site where excavated soil will be sieved, and found wreckage and ammunition will be processed and removed.
Sources: NL Times, Omroep Flevoland
Note: The wreck may still have ammunition on board, and Defense has advised imposing a ban on using metal detectors in the area and setting up extra police surveillance. The municipality has placed fences and warning signs around the location. The recovery operation is expected to bring closure to surviving relatives of the airmen who died in the crash.
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