Remains of World War II airman from Central NY identified after 80 years

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A Rochester family is expressing gratitude this week for an 80-year recovery mission.

Their uncle, Tech. Sgt. Lynn Farnham, was shot down over Germany during World War II, and it was recently learned that his remains were finally coming home.

News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean met with Farnham’s nephew, Tom Farnham, at the Village Gate Military History Museum. The museum hidden behind a yellow door in an old factory building hides many amazing stories.

The final chapter concerns Lynn Farnham, who was buried in an unmarked grave in a French cemetery for 80 years. Thanks to the efforts of the US military and advances in DNA technology, his remains were identified and returned home.

“Lynn is here,” Tom Farnham remarked, recounting his uncle’s story.

Lynn Farnham grew up in central New York and flew B-17 crew missions over Germany in preparation for D-Day.

On February 25, 1944, a German fighter shot down his plane. Three weeks later, his mother received a letter saying he was missing in action. Tom Farnham shared a diary entry from the time: “Lynn has been missing over Germany since February 25, three weeks ago today.”

Reflecting on his grandmother’s writings, Tom said, “That’s my grandmother. I have read many of her diaries and most of what she wrote is fact.” He added: “I’m sure she’s hurting.”

Tom and his brothers spent years putting together their uncle’s bequests. They found that Farnham was initially buried near the crash site and his remains were later moved after the war to the cemetery, where they remained until recently. Ten years ago, the Department of Defense discovered new evidence of plane wreckage, found the remains in a cemetery and exhumed them. This year, DNA testing confirmed that the remains, known as “Unknown X-6271,” belong to Sgt. Farnham.

Last week, his surviving family members decided to bring him back and bury him at Arlington National Cemetery. Tom Farnham expressed his involvement in the ceremony, saying: “I will definitely be at the ceremony.” He added: “It will be, I don’t want to say the closing of the book, but it’s close to a good ending to this story.”

Farnham and his brothers created a book dedicated to Sgt. Farnham. The book is filled with photographs and letters depicting Lynn’s life.

Tom Farnham shared a photo of Major Dahl, the Luftwaffe pilot who shot down his uncle’s plane.

“I didn’t react emotionally to it,” Tom said. “May. Dahl was doing his job for his nation back then, just like my uncle. It’s tragic that they both had to be invested in the outcome, but I didn’t react emotionally. But it’s interesting that we have a picture of him.

Farnham’s remains are expected to return to the United States in the spring. The U.S. military deals with dozens of similar cases each year, and 78,000 soldiers are still missing and unaccounted for from World War II.

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