The Belgian armed forces want to trace relatives of a Bradford airman killed when his aircraft crashed into the sea on its way back from a bombing mission in Germany.

Sergeant Richard Kellett Hayes, a wireless operator-air gunner with the RAF in the Second World War, was buried in a communal cemetery at Oostduinkerke, on the Belgian coast, after his body was washed ashore on the beach. Now the Belgian Ministry of Defence is putting together a book about the 154 airmen buried at the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery and two nearby village cemeteries.

In a direct appeal to Telegraph & Argus readers, Frank Raeman, chief warrant officer with the Belgian Armed Forces, said: “I hope with your help to find family of anyone who would be able to help us receiving some more information or a photograph of Richard Hayes, which we would be allowed to use in our book.

“The book will show not only the historical aspect of how and why these men died but will also show them as they were. Were they married? Did they have any children? What was the reason they joined the air force?”

Sgt Hayes was born in Bradford on June 25, 1911, and was aged 30 when he died on September 1, 1941.

At 8.40pm, on the evening of August 31, 1941, he was onboard a Hampden Mk I bomber from 44 Squadron that took off from Waddington airfield, Lincolnshire.

Mr Raeman, outlining the information he has gleaned in six years of research to date, said: “Their mission was to bomb the German city of Cologne.

“They were able to bomb the city but were hit by flak – German anti-aircraft fire. They were able to fly home but approximately 25 miles from Harwich, the aircraft crashed into the sea, killing the four-man crew.”

One of the other crew members – Canadian Sgt Harold Taylor – also washed ashore on a Belgian beach, at De Haan. Sgt Taylor was buried in a cemetery near where his body was found. After the war his body was exhumed and reburied at the Adegem Canadian war cemetery.

The two other crew members – Sgt Stafford Harvey, who was the pilot, and Flight Sergeant John Philips – were never found, have no known grave and are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial.

Mr Raeman said: “Initially it was our goal to publish the book only in the Flemish language but, on request of the families, it will also be available in English.”

Anyone with information can contact Telegraph & Argus reporter Will Kilner on (01274) 705401 or at will.kilner@telegraphandargus.co.uk