The Stirling N3654 of No.15 Squadron crashed on 11 May 1941

A military burial is to be held to coincide with the 63rd anniversary of the crash of the men's aircraft.

Their remains were discovered during an excavation in fields near a Dutch village last year.

The bomber was on its way from an RAF base in Cambridgeshire, for a raid on Berlin when it was shot down.

Parts of the RAF crew's Stirling plane, from the No.15 Squadron, along with the remains of six airmen, four from Britain and two from New Zealand, were found.

'Ultimate sacrifice'

In line with the families' wishes, a memorial service and full military burial will be held on Tuesday in Bergen, the town nearest the crash site.

The six crewmen will be buried in a single coffin but with separate headstones.

The airmen's remains were found during an excavation last year

They will be laid to rest near the grave of the pilot, Wing Commander Herbert Dale, 33, from Preston, whose body was found shortly after the crash.

Serving members of the present day No. 15 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, will attend the service.

Squadron Commander, Wing Commander Bill Gibson, said: "The culture and ethos of today's airforce is shaped by the courage displayed by men and women of the RAF during the Second World War.

"It is befitting that aircrew of today honour the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in years gone by."

The Stirling N3654 crashed into a field 500 yards from Opmeer, near Bergen, on 11 May, 1941, killing all seven men on board.

They were: Wing Commander Dale; Pilot Officer Peter Bird, 20, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire; Pilot Officer Daniel McLean Campbell, 25, from New Zealand; Sergeant Frank Smith, 22, from Gillingham, Kent; Sergeant Norman Nuttall, 22, from Blackburn, Lancashire; Sergeant Stanley Plumb, 24, from Stroud, Gloucestershire; Sergeant Eric Lucas, 26, from New Zealand.