PB854
Crashes > of the R.A.F.
Nothing is known about the reason for the crash or the exact location within Cologne. The Lancaster PB854 was probably hit by flak and exploded over the city. The dead Polish crew were only recovered in the streets of Cologne after the invasion of the American troops on 07 March 1945. They were buried in different cemeteries. There are no known reports on the aircraft wreckage or the crew.
The body of Fl/Lt Mikolaj Kirkilewicz, who was buried as an unknown soldier on the Polish Memorial in Northolt, could only be identified in 2018 through genetic testing.