Three US airmen stationed at an East Anglian RAF base who were murdered by the Nazi secret police are set to be honoured.

Sgt Joseph Eugene Prokop, then 22, Sgt Charles Bernard Goldstein and Tech Sgt Warren George Hammond were stationed at RAF Knettishall during the Second World War.

Sgt Prokop's family were told he was killed in February 1945 when his B-17 bomber was shot down in Hanau, Germany, near Frankfurt. All three men actually survived the crash but were captured by the Gestapo.

Hanau historians found out that Gestapo director Hermann Fehrle, while questioning the men discovered Sgt Goldstein was Jewish and became angry. About 90 minutes later, the men were executed in a courtyard.

Three German nationals were convicted of war crimes for killing the unarmed prisoners.

Now, the city of Hanau will honour the memory of the men, with a plaque in the courtyard they were killed in being unveiling on February 17.