The Hunt Continues

But a large number of aircraft, German and Allied, crashed into the Dutch inland sea, lysselmeer. The Royal Netherlands Air Force estimates that nearly 1000 aircraft lie at the bottom of the lysselmeer. So far the recovery teams have recovered 147 aircraft shot down over Holland during the last war.

Since 1960, Dutch hydraulic experts, in an amazing feat of engineering, have been pumping out the waters of the lysselmeer into the North Sea in order to gain valuable new farmland. As the water recedes, objects which have been lying beneath the surface for many years come to light. They often turn out to be the wreckage of a Lancaster, Stirling, Focke Wulf 190, Heinkel III, Spitfire or an 8-17.

Why is it that the lysselmeer claimed more aircraft in World War II, than any other comparable stretch of water in Europe? The answer lies in the aerial combat tactics developed by the German and Allied air forces as the battle for Europe· gained momentum. The British and American massed bomber streams often passed directly over the lysselmeer on their way to and from Germany. The shallow inland sea was a direct route from Eastern England to Germany and back and, more importantly, it was also a relatively flak-free area.

The German air force countered the bombers by placing crack fighter units around the lysselmeer, which resulted in some of the most intense air battles fought during World War II.

When aircraft are discovered on the drained polders the Royal Netherlands Air Force Recovery Teams are called in.

Aircraft have to be identified, and cleared of ammunition and bomb loads deloused. This is a particularly dangerous and sensitive phase of the recovery work since bombs and their fuse mechanisms are still hot, despite the fact that they have been under the water for over 30 years.

Often working in cold and difficult conditions the recovery teams make every effort to establish the identity of the aircraft, its squadron history, armament and bomb load, engine details, final combat report and crew information. This often requires close cooperation with the Air Force authorities in Germany, England, America and Australia.

In salvaging the aircraft wrecks from the lysselmeer, the discovery of the personal effects of airmen is perhaps the most poignant element of the work.

Escape maps, coins, stamps, map-printed silk scarves and a good luck charm, bring home the truth that the war was not only one fought with machines, there was the human element as well. The human factor becomes an important aspect of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Recovery work.

From the few remaining bones of the crew that went down with the aircraft, or the remains of clothing with manufacturers’ trademarks, identification can often be made. All clues are double-checked against existing RAF, USAAF and Luftwaffe records and in many cases positive identification is made.

All that remains is for the next-of-kin to be notified that their son, brother, husband, father or uncle has been found and given a decent burial. This final stage of the recovery team’s work finally removes the doubt which has remained for so many years with the families of these “missing men”.

The RAF confirmed that some 20,000 aircrew are still missing in action as a result of missions over occupied Europe, and the USAAF lists some 1200 aircrew lost without trace over the Netherlands. To these can be added 2500 German aircrew.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force Recovery Teams continue to work on a giant jigsaw puzzle, as more land is reclaimed from the waters of the lysselmeer. Many more pieces of the puzzle are under the sea, spread over many square miles.

The puzzle may never be completed, but the dedication and ingenuity of the Dutch recovery teams will ensure that many airmen who fought in the skies over Holland during World War II and were lost, will one day find their places in the pages of air combat history.