Seventy-two years after his plane was shot down over Germany, a Canadian airman who went missing during the Second World War will finally be laid to rest.
The Defence Department says remains recovered from a German lake in 2008 have been identified as belonging to Flight Sgt. John Joseph Carey, a gunner whose aircraft was shot down on Aug. 28, 1942. The Ottawa man died at age 22.
A team of explosive experts recovered Carey's remains from a bomb-filled aircraft at the bottom of Laacher See in 2008, but it took scientists years to determine his identity. Ken Carey, the youngest of John's three brothers, provided the DNA sample that allowed scientists to get a positive match.
Last February, Ken learned that his brother John's remains had been recovered. Three months later, Ken died.
Laurel Clegg, co-ordinator at the Department of National Defence Casualty Identification, said such identifications are rare and difficult.
"A lot of things have to come together to make an identification," she said. "The recovery, being able to get a genetic sample from the family, being able to get a genetic sample from the remains as well."
Flight Sgt. Carey's remains will stay in Germany, where they will be buried at Rheinberg War Cemetery. Carey's family and members of the Canadian Forces will attend the funeral, which is scheduled for next month.
Lt.-Gen. Yvon Blondin, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said Canadians should pause and reflect on the importance of Carey's recovery.
"We must not cease to honour the sacrifice of those who came before us, and in doing so provide a sense of closure to the families and to their brothers and sisters in arms," he told the Canadian Press.
Carey's family learned of his initial disappearance by telegraph, but his parents held out hope that he might have survived. For 10 years, Carey's father wrote letters to Ottawa, urging the government to recover the plane at the bottom of Laacher See so they could be sure. Carey's parents died without knowing for certain that it was their son at the bottom of the lake.
But now, Carey's remaining family will know for sure that he's been found.
"That's the goal… to be able to go to a family member and say, 'Listen, this isn't a question for you anymore.'" Clegg said.
With a report by CTV’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Laurie Graham
