How was Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler identified 86 years later?

Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler was identified after his Hurricane aircraft wreckage was discovered in 2022, leading to extensive testing and DNA analysis, including a process of elimination using other potential candidates.

When and where was the RAF pilot's wreckage found?

The wreckage of Sqn Ldr Fidler's Hurricane aircraft was found in Oisy-le-Verger, northern France, in 2022 during excavation work to expand a canal.

When will Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler receive a military burial?

Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler is scheduled to receive a full military burial on May 19, which is the 86th anniversary of his death.

Home / War and Conflict / WWII Pilot Found 86 Years Later in France

WWII Pilot Found 86 Years Later in France

20 Apr

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Summary

RAF pilot's remains identified 86 years after his death in WWII.
His Hurricane plane wreckage was discovered by canal workers in 2022.
He will receive a full military burial on the anniversary of his death.

WWII Pilot Found 86 Years Later in France

Eighty-six years after his death during World War Two, the remains of RAF pilot Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler have been positively identified. Fidler, aged 27 and from North Yorkshire, was shot down on May 19, 1940, when his Hurricane aircraft was downed by a German Messerschmitt.

For decades, his whereabouts remained unknown, despite an earlier burial of a body believed to be him. In 2022, the discovery of Fidler's Hurricane, with him still in the pilot's seat, occurred during excavation work to expand a canal in Oisy-le-Verger, northern France.