The four airmen, who were killed just weeks before the end of the war, were buried with full military honours at Padua War Cemetery.
Their Boston BZ590 bomber, from 18 Squadron Royal Air Force, was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on April 21, 1945 as it targeted a river crossing on the Po.
Pilot Sergeant David Raikes; navigator Flight Sergeant David Perkins; wireless operator Flight Sergeant Alexander Bostock, all 20 and of the RAF Volunteer Reserve, and Australian air gunner Warrant Officer John Hunt, 21, of the Royal Australian Air Force, died.
The remains of the airmen and location of their aircraft was a mystery until an amateur archaeological society unearthed the wreckage in 2011.
At a ceremony yesterday, Sgt Raikes’s nephew, also called David, read a poem written by his uncle, while Sgt Raikes’s brothers Roger and Tim Raikes travelled from Brecon in Wales.
Tim Raikes, 79, said: “I’ve been waiting all these years and thought he would never be found.
“We had to come here, see the crash site and to meet the other relatives and the warmth of the people has been marvellous.”
A guard of honour was made up of current members of 18 Squadron. Wing Commander Lee Turner, its commanding officer, said: “It is a privilege to pay our respects to our colleagues and remember the ultimate sacrifice that the crew made.
“18(B) Squadron personnel are currently serving on operations – this time in Afghanistan – and the connection with our forebears remains strong.”