Leamington woman attends funeral for RAF crewman father who died in bombing raid in 1943

The remains of the crew of Lancaster ED427 are carried to their final resting place in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery at Durnbach.

RAF Lancaster ED427 with its crew of seven belonging to 49 Squadron took off from RAF Fiskerton, five miles east of Lincoln at 2114 Hrs on 16th April 1943 to attack the Skoda armaments works in the Czechoslovakian brewing town of Pilsen. The aircraft failed to return and may have been downed by enemy flak. In September 2012 a civilian excavation team unearthed the remains of Lancaster ED427 in the village of Laumersheim south west of Frankfurt together with human remains.

Picture by Mike Drewett — The remains of the crew of Lancaster ED427 are carried to their final resting place in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery at Durnbach. RAF Lancaster ED427 with its crew of seven belonging to 49 Squadron took off from RAF Fiskerton, five miles east of Lincoln at 2114 Hrs on 16th April 1943 to attack the Skoda armaments works in the Czechoslovakian brewing town of Pilsen. The aircraft failed to return and may have been downed by enemy flak. In September 2012 a civilian excavation team unearthed the remains of Lancaster ED427 in the village of Laumersheim south west of Frankfurt together with human remains. Picture by Mike Drewett

Hazel Snedker of Borrowdale Drive, Leamington, was only two years old when her father Sgt Norman Foster, 22, and his fellow crewmen aboard Lancaster ED427 were killed when the bomber was shot down by anti aircraft flak during the infamous raid on the Skoda armaments works at Pilzen, Czechoslovakia, in April 1943.

She thought the crews’ remains would never be found until 2012 when her husband Tony came across news on the internet that the bomber was being excavated at a field outside the village of Laumersheim near Frankfurt in Germany.

The burial took place, with full military honours, at Durnbach War Cemetery near Munich last Wednesday and Mrs Snedker, accompanied by several family members including her father’s two great grandchildren who laid a wreath at his grave, read a poem entitled The Fight Lieutenant written in the 1940s by KD Clarke at the preceding church service.

Mrs Snedker said: “It was really moving and emotional.

“The Queen’s Colour Squadron were meticulous in how they carried the coffin and immaculate in honouring the crew members.

“I was apprehensive before the event and as we came out of the church I and my grandchildren broke down.

“My grandson said he was upset because some of the crew were of a similar age to what he is now.”