Wartime RAF pilot buried 86 years after crash

An RAF pilot who was killed during World War Two has been laid to rest 86 years after his plane went down over northern France.

Sqn Ldr George Morley Fidler, from Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, was buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission London Cemetery and Extension in Longueval, France, on Tuesday.

Fidler's body was found still in the pilot's seat of his Hurricane aircraft in 2022 when workers began excavating to expand a canal in Oisy-le-Verger.

His body was identified by war detectives at the Ministry of Defence after extensive research and DNA testing and he was reinterred by serving RAF personnel.

Sqn Ldr Fidler, known to his family and friends as 'Morley', was born on 30 September 1912 and joined the forces in 1934.

According to the MOD, Fidler would often visit Great Ayton on leave, sometimes arriving by aircraft, looping-the-loop and landing in a field nearby much to the joy of the local children.

He spent time in Egypt, Cyprus and India, being described as an "exceptional" pilot by his superiors. When war was declared in September 1939, Fidler went to France and in February 1940 he joined 607 Squadron.

On 19 May 1940, Hurricanes from 607 Squadron were patrolling the skies above Cambrai, France, when he was shot down in an air battle.

Fidler's identity was confirmed in April 2026 and he was buried on the 86th anniversary of his death.

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