WW2 plane found submerged in Netherlands lake
- Published
The Short Stirling Bomber BK716 was lost when returning from a bombing raid in Germany
An aircraft in which seven airmen went missing during World War II has been found in the Netherlands.
The Short Stirling Bomber BK716 was lost when returning from a bombing raid in Germany in 1943.
It was found this week submerged in Lake Markermeer, near Amsterdam and it is thought the remains of the crew are still on board.
One of the men was Sgt Charles Armstrong Bell, of Langley Park, County Durham.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said the Bomber Command Museum of Canada had asked it for help tracking down any of Sgt Bell's living relatives.
They said he was the son of James Ainsley Bell and Elizabeth Bell and had lived at 10, Quebec Street, with his wife Frances, who later remarried.
A family member subsequently contacted police after appeals were shared on social media.
The relatives of the six other crew members have also been traced, although their names have not been revealed.
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- Published28 August 2017
