American Pilot Buried 57 Years After Crash

With his sister and a former comrade in attendance, an American bomber pilot was buried with full military honors near Cambridge--57 years after his plane crashed over the east coast of England during World War II.

Lieut. Col. Earle Aber, of Racine, Wis., died in March 1945 after his B-17 “Flying Fortress” was accidentally hit by British guns as he flew over Clacton.

Officials said Aber managed to maintain control of the aircraft long enough to allow nine crew members to parachute to safety. But he died with his co-pilot, Maurice Harper, when the plane crashed into the River Stour at Harwich. A salvage team recovered the wreck two years ago.