Three bodies recovered from crashed British bomber
A British air force bomber that crashed in Flemish Brabant in 1945 has finally been recovered and three bodies identified
Military salute
The first body to be recovered was tail gunner Sergeant Christopher Hogg, then aged 20, from Birmingham. Two more bodies were found the following day, believed to be pilot Holman Kerr from Northern Ireland and 18-year-old Flight Sergeant Allan Olsen, an Australian.
The dig was visited by the British and Australian ambassadors, as well as relatives of one of the three men. The bodies of another two crew members were retrieved shortly after the crash.
The coffins were draped with the national flag of the soldier concerned, with a brief military salute by a guard of honour of the British Commonwealth. Glabbeek mayor Peter Reekmans, who initiated the recovery project, said the remains would be handed over to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The three dead are likely to join their colleagues in a collective grave at the military cemetery in Leuven (pictured).
Photo courtesy Commonwealth War Graves Commission
