'I hope that we made this day very special': German memorial honours lost war bomber crew

Families of the crew of a Second World War bomber shot down over Germany in 1945 are finally getting closure for their long-lost loved ones after a local man with a passion for archeology created a memorial in their honour.

Families of the crew of a Second World War bomber shot down over Germany in 1945 are finally getting closure for their long-lost loved ones after a local man with a passion for archeology created a memorial in their honour.

Erik Weiman, 54, has loved archeology since he found his first bronze-age axe as a kid growing up in Holland. But what had been just a hobby for many years is now helping to honour those who lost their lives during the war.

Weiman is part of a volunteer group in Germany that has put together a memorial at the crash site of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Halifax bomber NP711, shot down near Leistadt, Germany on Feb. 21, 1945. All seven crew members died.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, ten descendants of that crew were at the crash site honouring the men who died there. Weiman says people travelled from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Saudi Arabia to attend the ceremony.

"They were very thankful, and I think they had a really great day," said Weiman. "When they come from so far away, we have to make it worthwhile for them."

The memorial consists of a large stone weighing almost 3 tons with a plaque on it naming the seven crew members. An informational display tells the story of the crash in both English and German for local passers-by.

Around 90 people attended the memorial ceremony Saturday, including a 96-year-old German man who had been forced as a teenager to shoot down Allied planes during the war. Weiman says it's important for everyone to remember those who died.