The Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), the Ministry of Defence, and the Indonesian government will jointly investigate the aircraft wreck of a Glenn Martin WH3 M-574 bomber. In January 1941, this bomber crashed in the jungle of Kalimantan, Indonesia. The wreck was rediscovered in 2019 and was found to be in relatively good condition. The aim of this research is not only to map the wreckage but also to assess what should be done with the remains and to locate the emergency graves of the crew members.
Indonesia
The wreck of the bomber was originally discovered in January 1942 by an infantry patrol of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). The team found four crew members bodies, which were later buried next to the aircraft. The fate of the fifth crew member remains unclear. After the discovery, the wreck faded from public memory. In 2019, the wreck was rediscovered, revealing that many parts of the aircraft had been well preserved. The planning for the joint research has now begun, and the actual field research is expected in 2026.
Pilot for Broader Research
The research on the Glenn Martin wreck in Kalimantan is part of a broader inventory of other aircraft types used by the Netherlands during World War II. The pilot includes the Dornier DO-24K of the Naval Aviation Service (MLD) and the Glenn Martin WH3 bombers of the Military Aviation of the Royal Netherlands-Indies Army (ML-KNIL). It serves as a precursor for further research into all types of aircraft used by the Netherlands during the war, both in Europe and beyond.
The aim of this pilot is to create an overview of the different aircraft types that have been active in Dutch service, how many aircraft there have been, where they were lost, and whether wreckage from these aircraft can still be found outside the Netherlands. This will provide insight into the losses of these types of aircraft and the possibility that wreckage may still be found. It will also shed light on the still-missing crew members and possible passengers in the lost aircraft.
Martijn Manders, coordinator of international maritime heritage at the RCE under which this pilot falls, explains: In recent years, various aircraft wrecks have surfaced. These aircraft are an important part of our colonial and wartime history. Before a large part of these sites is lost, the RCE wants to create an overview of what we still know and where aircraft wrecks are currently located.
Bas Kreuger, aviation historian, researcher, and project leader in the pilot project: In addition to the importance of the material heritage, the stories of the crews are important to document. Relatives attach great importance to finding missing aircraft, the crews, and keeping the memories of those who have been gone for so long alive.
MaSS, Accessibility for the Public
The results of this pilot and the broader research will be added to Maritime Stepping Stones (MaSS), an online database that maps sites of Dutch maritime heritage. So far, MaSS contains information about ships in foreign waters, but the database has been expanded with data about aircraft. This ensures that the information and stories about these historical finds are accessible to a wide audience.