Crash survivor's family sought

TWO Dutch researchers who discovered the remains of a Lancaster bomber which crash landed in Holland during World War 2, are searching for the family of a Warrington man who survived the crash.
Flying Officer John Craven, DFC, RAFVR was reported to be living in the Warrington area and had a daughter Caroline Craven who married in Warrington in 1975, becoming Mrs Caroline M Higginson-Craven.
Last year, a monument was unveiled at the site of the crash at Oene, on the outskirts of Apeldoorn, in the east of Holland – exactly 65 years after it occurred.
But only three members of the crew attended the ceremony. Two of the crew of eight were killed in the crash, six parachuted out and one is known to have been executed by the Germans, without trial, as a terrorist. But the others, including Flying Officer Craven, could not be traced.
Flying Officer Craven was the ‘plane’s navigator and, after surviving the crash, managed to evade capture by the Germans and, with the help of the Dutch resistance, got back to England.
The monument to the crew of the Lancaster LL840 was organised by two Dutch researchers, Jan Kiesbrink and Teunis Nooteboom, working with the organisation “Stichtling Broken Wings ’40 -’45”.
They made strenuous attempts to trace Mr Craven, or members of his family, or the Higginson family to invite them to the unveiling ceremony
Now a book has been published, detailing how the pair discovered the crash site with the help of senior citizens living nearby, and used a metal detector to find some remains of the aircraft.
Anybody who can help in locating either the Craven or Higginson family to inform them of the monument, is asked to contact Mr Michael Allman at [email protected] or phone 01442 214560.