The remains of two air force pilots missing nearly 72 years since their plane crashed in a cottage country lake north of Toronto have been recovered.

British Royal Air Force Flight Lt. Peter Campbell, 24, and Royal Canadian Air Force Leading Aircraftsman Theodore "Ted" Bates, 27, were recovered in Lake Muskoka in October 2012. Officials said they didn't reveal the recovery operation until Friday as they didn't want the wreckage to be disturbed and wanted to make arrangements for the plane.

"This particular dive operation will certainly stay with the team forever," Lt. Greg Oickle, the acting commanding officer of the Atlantic fleet diving unit, said in a statement.

"The team is proud to have been part of this homage to their military predecessors," Oickle said.

The Nomad 3521 aircraft crashed Dec. 13, 1940, after it hit another aircraft, the Nomad 3512, while both planes were searching for an airman who'd gone missing during training the day before.

The pilot and co-pilot of 3512 were located, but the other pilots, Campbell and Bates, from Guelph, Ont., in 3521 were never found.

The Royal Canadian Navy's fleet diving unit and Ontario Provincial Police's underwater team helped find the wreckage, remains, and the aircraft's three .30-calibre machine guns, after Muskoka residents raised awareness about the missing plane.

The airmen will be laid to rest in Guelph Tuesday.

"This recovery will provide closure to the families of Flight Lt. Campbell and Leading Aircraftsman Bates, as well as reassure them that the ultimate sacrifice made by their loved ones will never be forgotten," Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said in a statement.