On 5 September 1942, two British bombers crashed within a short time of each other in what is now the municipality of Leeuwarden. At 2:51 am, residents of Earnewâld and Warten were startled by an aerial battle that ended with Lancaster R5682 crashing in the Alde Feanen. Two crew members were killed, while four others survived by parachuting to safety. The fate of the seventh crew member,Canadian tail gunner James Cooper, remained unknown for decades.
A unique opportunity to discover what happened to him during that fateful flight arose in 2017, when the wreckage of Lancaster R5682 was recovered by the Dutch Ministry of Defence. The Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (SMAMF) was closely involved in the recovery of the wreckage, carrying out the historical research and liaising with relatives of the crew, among other things.
Organised by HCL in collaboration with SMAMF and Aed Levwerd.
